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EU to announce urgent aid for Syria, neighboring countries

07 June 2013 00:15 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The European Commission is slated to announce an additional 400-million- euro urgent humanitarian aid for Syria and neighboring countries on Friday, UN spokesman Martin Nesirky told reporters here Thursday, adding that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the upcoming announcement, APA reports quoting AP.

"The secretary-general welcomes Friday's announcement by the European Commission of 400 million euros in additional funding for Syria and neighbouring countries, in particular Jordan and Lebanon, " Nesirky said at a daily news briefing here.

"This substantial contribution shows the compassion and solidarity of the people of the European Union for Syrians in need, " he said.

"On Friday, the United Nations and partners will launch the revised 2013 appeals for urgent aid for Syrians caught up in the brutal conflict," he said.

"Millions more vulnerable people now depend on humanitarian help, whether displaced from their homes on Syria or living as refugees in other countries," Nesirky said.

"It is vital that donors continue to give generously so that we can help provide families with life-saving food, clean water, shelter and medical care," he said.

On May 17, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) announced that the number of Syrian civilians who have fled their country to escape conflict has passed the 1.5 million mark, while warning that the widening gap between the needs and resources available is becoming a huge challenge.

The agency has registered close to 1 million refugees since the beginning of the year -- about 250,000 people each month.

Inside Syria, UNHCR continued this week to follow up on the needs and situation of several hundred families displaced in the village of Zamarin, on the outskirts of Tartus, a city on the Mediterranean coast.

They fled Banias district in Latakia governorate, where clashes erupted in early May. Some families found shelter in a mosque and local schools, but the majority have been hosted by families in Zamarin, UN officials said.