US diplomacy announced this Wednesday new funding of US$756 million in humanitarian aid for Syria, where “the needs of the displaced remain urgent”, after more than ten years of war.
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield made the announcement during a Security Council meeting on Syria. The funding, in addition to the $808 million remittance announced earlier this year, seeks to “follow flawlessly on our commitment to the Syrian people,” said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The secretary also highlighted the importance of an international agreement to deliver humanitarian aid across the border with Turkey, “a vital link” for millions of people in Syria.
The UN Security Council in July passed a resolution extending until January 10 this cross-border aid mechanism, which allows aid to be delivered without the consent of the government of Damascus to 2.4 million people in the provinces of Idlib and northern Aleppo, the latter controlled by jihadist and rebel groups.
Westerners had hoped to renew the mechanism for a year, but Russia only agreed to six months. Washington says it has funded $15.7 billion in humanitarian aid to Syria since the start of the war 11 years ago.
