UN: 15.3 million Syrians, nearly 70% of the population, need aid

(Patria) - For the first time in the twelve-year war in Syria, people in every district are experiencing some degree of „humanitarian stress“, and a staggering 15.3 million, which is nearly 70 percent of the population, need humanitarian aid, the United Nations said. The UN appeal for $5.4 billion to help over 14 million people in Syria has raised less than 10 percent, and the UN World Food Programme warned that without additional funding, 2.5 million people are at risk of losing food or cash aid from July, AP reported.

The dire humanitarian situation, exacerbated by the February earthquake that devastated the rebel-held northwest, was explained to the Security Council by Ghada Mudawi, deputy director of operations at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The Syrian people „are increasingly relying on humanitarian aid as basic services and critical infrastructure are on the brink of collapse“, she said.

Mudawi called for generous pledges and rapid disbursement of funds at a conference hosted by the European Union in Brussels from June 14 to 15. She said that „Syrians need the support of the international community now more than at any time in the past 12 years.“ She said the need to maintain the delivery of humanitarian aid to the northwest is even more important after the earthquake. She added that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a twelve-month extension of the UN mandate, which expires in July, saying that aid is „essential“ and „a matter of life and death for millions of people“ in the region.