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9th donors meeting tackles progress of aid to Syria - Al-Maatouq

Chairman of the International Islamic Charitable Organization and Amiri Diwan Advisor Dr. Abdullah Al-Maatouq
Chairman of the International Islamic Charitable Organization and Amiri Diwan Advisor Dr. Abdullah Al-Maatouq
KUWAIT, Jan 16 (KUNA) -- The ninth meeting of major donors to Syria will examine how far pledges of aid made at the Syria donors conference last February in London have come, a Kuwaiti official said on Monday.
In a speech to open the meeting, Chairman of the International Islamic Charitable Organization and Amiri Diwan Advisor Dr. Abdullah Al-Maatouq noted that the fourth Syria donors conference yielded pledges of aid worth USD 10 billion.
Moreover, he said that the meeting comes "mere weeks after the world had borne witness to atrocities and scenes of destruction in the Syrian city of Aleppo." On the plight of displaced people in Aleppo, Al-Maatouq said that they lack basic necessities such as food, water and medicine, many of them are in dire need of medical attention.
Speaking on the war in Syria, he said that it largely remains unabated despite an agreement for a ceasefire, adding that the conflict has forced half of the Syrian population out of their homes.
Meanwhile, Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Al-Jarallah said that the meeting takes place as the war in Syria rages on amid worsening humanitarian conditions.
He prodded the international community to step up efforts to find a definitive political solution to the conflict, noting that Kuwait has taken the initiative to ensure that a rigid ceasefire is in place in Syria.
"We have to remain determined to expend more efforts to mitigate the misery of the Syrian people," Al-Jarallah said. (Pick up previous) amn.ays.nam