U.N. official calls for funding programs in Syria
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – A U.N. official called on Tuesday for funding aid programs in Syria during a visit he paid to the opposition-held governorate of Idlib in northwestern Syria.
David Carden, U.N. deputy regional humanitarian coordinator for the Syria crisis urged the international community to fund crucial aid programs in Syria.
This came during his visit to the village of Murin in the northwestern countryside of Idlib, that is militarily under the control of the armed opposition factions, aka the Syrian National Army (SNA), and administratively run by the Syrian Interim Government.
Despite the operation of Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey, the only crossing that keeps opening for humanitarian aid in northern Syria, the opposition-held region in northwestern Syria keeps suffering from dire living conditions.
“Existing financing is clearly not enough to meet the needs of the most vulnerable people”, said Carden.
He told AFP that “Syria’s humanitarian response plan for 2024 requires more than $4 billion but is only six percent funded.”
Janne Suvanto of the World Food Program (WFP), who was part of the delegation visiting Idlib, told AFP, “the food security situation in northwest Syria is very bad”.