LOC20:37
17:37 GMT
PARIS, Nov 26 (KUNA) -- France has decided to donate USD 1.5 million to the
newly formed Syrian National Coalition (SNC) which is seeking to oust
President Bashar Al-Assad from power and form a transitional government to
replace him, official sources said Monday.
The French Foreign Ministry announced the funding to coincide with an
important meeting in Cairo Monday and Tuesday of the SNC with international
supporters seeking to help the beleaguered Syrian population.
The funds are for "urgent humanitarian aid," a statement here said, noting
that Paris has already allocated USD 1.5 million to local "revolutionary
councils" in areas of Syria to help rebuild their infrastructure and get local
administration functioning again.
The French statement also said that an additional USD 385,000 was being
donated to help Syrian refugees in Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon.
Those funds will be given to non-governmental organisations working on
several projects to alleviate the suffering of refugees and provide food,
shelter and medicines.
"The humanitarian situation in Syria is deteriorating. It is imperative
that the international community acts," the French statement said.
France was the first nation to recognize the new SNC as "the only
legitimate representative of the Syrian people" and has vowed to help provide
the body with the means to help Syrians in distress.
Several other countries, notably Britain and the Gulf nations, have also
recognized the SNC.
Almost 30,000 people have died in Syrian violence since March 2011, while
hundreds of thousands have been wounded, with 1.5 million internally displaced
and over 300,000 refugees outside the country. (end)
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KUNA 262037 Nov 12NNNN