U.S. offers 70-mln-dollar new aid for Syrian opposition

As the Syrian conflict enters its fifth year, the United States announced on Friday that it will provide nearly 70 million U.S. dollars in new non-lethal assistance to the Syrian opposition.

Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken announced the new aid at an event marking the fourth anniversary of conflict.

With the additional funding, the U.S. will have committed nearly 400 million U.S. dollars in assistance that supports the Syrian opposition since the start of the conflict, Blinken told Syrian opposition and Syrian-American participants in the event.

This new assistance includes nearly 30 million dollars to continue and enable the opposition and local governance structures inside Syria, as well as ongoing support for civil defense workers who play a critical role in emergency first response in Syria, said a statement issued by the State Department on Friday.

It also includes 25 million dollars in non-lethal support to vetted units of the armed opposition, said the statement, adding that the aid will help enhance the opposition's "operational capabilities as they seek to protect their communities."

The U.S. has started training and equipping thousands of moderate Syrian rebel forces as part of an effort to fight Islamic State militants in Syria.

According to the United Nations, over 220,000 Syrians have been killed since the start of the conflict. Almost half of the country 's men, women and children have been forced to flee their homes. More than 4 million people have sought refuge in neighboring countries, while a further 7.6 million are displaced within Syria. Endite