UN Security Council encourages int'l community to raise fund for Syria

The UN Security Council on Thursday expressed its support for the upcoming Third International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria, encouraging the international community to respond to UN appeals with humanitarian funding pledges.

In a press statement released here, the Security Council expressed deep concern that over half of Syria's pre-war population -- some 12.2 million people -- and the more than 3.9 million Syrian refugees in neighboring countries are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance.

The council highlighted that due to lack of funding for the UN and its implementing partners, humanitarian agencies had to reduce food rations for Syrians by 30 percent.

"The members of the Security Council noted that the Syria Response Plan's appeal for 2.9 billion dollars is only 9 percent funded, and the Syria Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan's appeal for 4.5 billion dollars is only 6 percent funded," said the statement.

In a Security Council meeting on Syria this afternoon, Valerie Amos, UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, briefed the council about the humanitarian situation in Syria, saying the pledging conference in Kuwait is an opportunity to raise some of the resources required to maintain the life saving work.

The Third International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria will take place on March 31, 2015 in Kuwait City, capital of Kuwait, to raise the funds required to meet the needs set out in the Syria Response Plan and the Syria Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan. Endite