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NEW YORK, Jan 2 (KUNA) -- UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos on
Thursday said the UN and its partners, along with the Kuwaiti Government, are
working hard to make the Second Donor Conference for Syria a "success."
She told a press conference on the work of her office worldwide during the
year 2013 and its projected work for the year 2014 that on January 15,
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will chair the Humanitarian Pledging Conference
for Syria, hosted by His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad
Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
"We are working hard to make that event a success," she stressed.
She noted that "we are talking to member states. We have a sustained effort
from the Secretary-General down, but also the Kuwaiti Government, we are
talking to all our partners who rose to the challenge through 2013 to try to
make sure we raise the resources required for Syria and neighbouring countries.
"
She recalled that in mid-December, the UN launched the "largest ever appeal
for a single humanitarian emergency crisis in Syria and surrounding countries.
We requested USD 6.5 billion for this year." The amount is almost half of the
overall appeal of USD 12.9 billion to reach millions of people worldwide with
life-saving aid in 2014.
She noted that in Syria itself, 9.3 million people need aid, 6.5 million of
them are internally displaced and more than 2.3 million have left their
countries as refugees mainly in neighbouring countries, adding that the
collapse of the country's infrastructure, the targeting of civilians, and the
militarization of schools and hospitals remain "major concerns."
"We continue to stress the need for a political solution to the crisis.
Every day that passes leads to the further deterioration of the situation, and
we on the humanitarian side, we can only do so much. We are doing our utmost
to support the people affected by this bloody conflict. The funding that we
need is unprecedented."
She said the appeal is "of course for the immediate humanitarian effort
inside Syria itself but it is also for the overall stabilization of the
countries around Syria, including Lebanon and Jordan. So we are talking about
substantial amounts of money that is required here."
The USD 1.5 billion sought at the first Kuwait Donor Conference for Syria
held on January 30, 2013 remains half-funded.
Asked if she would insist that the Security Council adopt a resolution on
the humanitarian situation in Syria, she conceded that it would be difficult
for the Council to do so in light of the division among its members, adding
that it is up to its 15 members to look at the Presidential Statement it
approved in August 2012 on the issue, see if it has been implemented and act
accordingly.
On the UN work worldwide, she said "2013 was a real test of the global
humanitarian system, and there is no indication that 2014 will be any
different."
"It is clear that the United Nations and its partners will be needed more
than ever," she stressed, noting that just a little more than two weeks ago,
the UN has launched its largest ever funding appeal - USD 12.9 billion - to
reach 52 million people in 17 countries with life-saving aid in 2014. Almost
half of that appeal - USD 6.5 billion - is sought to help those affected by
the deepening crisis in Syria and neighbouring countries.
Since that launch, she explained, developments in South Sudan and the
Central African Republic have already added tens of thousands of people to
those who need our help and support. "And with the ongoing emergencies in
Typhoon-hit Philippines and elsewhere, "our collective response capacity and
our resources are being stretched to the limit."
In South Sudan, she noted, violence has driven an estimated 194,000 people
from their homes in a matter of weeks, with more 97,000 seeking protection in
the UN peacekeeping missions throughout the country. Some 107,000 people have
been reached with assistance and the aim is to reach over 600,000 in the first
three months of this year.
In Central African Republic, she added, more than 800,000 people are
internally displaced and half a million face hunger. (end)
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