Americas

Americas

U.S. announces over 12 mln USD in humanitarian assistance to Syrians

15 March 2012 20:19 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The United States announced on Thursday that it will provide over 12 million U.S. dollars in humanitarian assistance to the Syrians suffering from continued violence, through the United Nations (UN) and other humanitarian relief organizations.

"The United States is pursuing every avenue to get humanitarian relief into Syria and is engaged in focused diplomatic efforts to secure safe access for humanitarian organizations to reach those in need," the State Department said in a statement.

This aid will be provided to help support international and non- governmental humanitarian partners, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which will receive 5.5 million dollars, as well as the World Food Program (WFP) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which will both get 3 million dollars.

Another 1 million dollars will be given to support the non- governmental organizations (NGO), the statement said.

As part of a growing international effort to rush humanitarian aid to needy Syrians to alleviate their suffering, the U.S. will also bolster "existing regional stockpiles of humanitarian supplies and equipment to be delivered to vulnerable and besieged Syrian communities," the statement said.

The UNHCR and the ICRC are delivering critical medical services and supplies, food, water, blankets, hygiene kits, and heaters to the Syrian people. They will also support host families who are sheltering displaced Syrians and those who have fled to neighboring countries, it added.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) issued a special alert in March to voice serious concern over the state of food security in Syria, especially for the vulnerable groups.

The WFP, which estimates that 1.4 million Syrians have become food insecure, plans to provide food aid to 100,000 people affected by the civil conflict in 11 governorates in Syria.

Since February, the WFP has delivered 16,850 family food rations -- sufficient to feed approximately 84,000 people for one month -- to Syrian Arab Red Crescent warehouses in 11 governorates in Syria. But there are still several of the worst-affected areas within the governorates remain inaccessible due to insecurity, the statement added.