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U.S. Pledges $380 Million in Relief Aid for Syria U.S. Pledges $380 Million in Relief Aid for Syria
(about 1 hour later)
KUWAIT — Secretary of State John Kerry pledged $380 million in new American assistance on Wednesday to help civilians who are suffering because of the civil war in Syria. KUWAIT — Secretary of State John Kerry pledged $380 million in new assistance on Wednesday to help civilians who are suffering because of the civil war in Syria.
The pledge came as Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations Secretary General, told a donor conference here that $6.5 billion was needed to provide medical care, food, water and shelter for Syrian refugees and civilians inside the country through 2014. The pledge came as Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary general, who is chairing the donors’ conference here, said that $6.5 billion was needed to provide medical care, food, water and shelter for Syrian refugees and civilians inside the country through 2014.
That is the largest appeal for assistance in the history of the United Nations. It comes as the number of Syrian refugees has grown and conditions inside the country have dramatically deteriorated.That is the largest appeal for assistance in the history of the United Nations. It comes as the number of Syrian refugees has grown and conditions inside the country have dramatically deteriorated.
But Mr. Kerry warned the aid would not be sufficient unless President Bashar al-Assad stopped “using starvation as a weapon of war” and his forces allowed international aid to reach besieged areas, such as the Damascus suburb of East Ghouta. The session was held in a lavish conference center, which was only recently completed. But as the offers of aid rolled in, several factors continued to raise concerns.
On Monday, Mr. Kerry and his Russia counterpart Sergey V. Lavrov said that pressing the Syrian government and the opposition to allow access to besieged areas would be a major objective of the peace conference on Syria, which is to begin on Jan. 22 in Switzerland. First, Mr. Kerry warned the new aid would not be sufficient unless President Bashar al-Assad stopped “using starvation as a weapon of war” and his forces allowed international aid to reach besieged areas, including the Damascus suburb of East Ghouta.
“If the regime can allow access to United Nations and international weapon inspectors, surely it can do the same for neutral international humanitarian assistance,” Mr. Kerry said. On Monday, Mr. Kerry and his Russian counterpart, Sergey V. Lavrov, said that pressing the Syrian government and the opposition to allow access to besieged areas would be a major objective of a peace conference on Syria that is to begin on Jan. 22 in Switzerland.
Some 6.5 million Syrians have been displaced within their own country and more than 2.3 million have fled Syria as refugees. “If the regime can allow access to United Nations and international weapon inspectors, surely it can do the same for neutral international humanitarian assistance,” said Mr. Kerry.
The $380 million Mr. Kerry pledged means that the United States has committed more than $1.7 billion in humanitarian aid since the crisis began, the most of any donor. Mr. Kerry said that Mr. Assad’s foreign minister would be visiting Moscow soon to consult with the Kremlin on the peace conference. He added that he planned to discuss the issue of humanitarian access again by phone with Mr. Lavrov as he flew back Wednesday to Washington.
Kuwait’s emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah, made the largest pledge at the conference: $500 million. Saudi Arabia and Qatar each pledged $60 million. But Mr. Kerry did not identify any punitive measures — economic, diplomatic or military — that might be taken if the Assad government refused to heed appeals to provide humanitarian access or did so intermittently. Mr. Kerry later told reporters that the State Department was examining “a whole set of different options” but that they were “not ready for prime time.”
In the past, not all donor nations have followed through on their pledges. Amnesty International said earlier this month that the United Arab Emirates, one of the richest Arab countries “made promises on aid that failed to fully materialize.” Russia, it added, “has only made minimal contributions to the humanitarian effort.” Another concern is that in the past, not all donor nations have followed through on their pledges. Only about 70 percent of the funding sought by the United Nations for Syria in 2013 was actually provided. Amnesty International said earlier this month that the United Arab Emirates, one of the richest Arab countries, “made promises on aid that failed to fully materialize.” Russia, it added, “has only made minimal contributions to the humanitarian effort.”
The $380 million Mr. Kerry pledged means that the United States has committed more than $1.7 billion in humanitarian aid since the crisis began, the most of any donor. Kuwait’s emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah, made the largest pledge at the Wednesday conference: $500 million. Saudi Arabia and Qatar each pledged $60 million.
A final worry is that the situation in Syria is deteriorating so rapidly that the humanitarian needs seem to outpace the resources promised. Some 6.5 million Syrians have been displaced within their own country and more than 2.3 million have fled Syria as refugees.
“Even under the best circumstances, the fighting has set back Syria years, even decades,” Mr. Ban said.