By Mohammed Al-Otaibi
NEW YORK, March 10 (KUNA) -- The Syrian National Coalition said that it was critically important that countries contribute generously to this year's International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria to be held in Kuwait later this month.
Special Representative of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces to the United Nations Dr. Najib Ghadbian told KUNA that the past pledging conferences, held under the patronage of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, had made major differences in the lives of ordinary Syrians.
The conferences helped to provide food as well as clean water and medicine to millions of refugees whose lives have been brutally uprooted by the Syrian regime, said Ghadbian, adding that more relief aid was urgently needed.
He said that humanitarian needs have risen by more than 31 percent since March last year, close to three million more people were now displaced, and at least 70,000 more people have died, he said.
Since humanitarian donations to Syria are failing to meet the growing needs of refugees inside and outside of Syria, the upcoming conference in Kuwait is far more needed and anticipated by many states, said the diplomat.
Past pledging conferences in 2013 and 2014 raised USD 3.8 billion in total.
Ghadbian said that "we are asking our friends and allies to increase their humanitarian commitments to the Syrian people," adding that "the UN still needs more than USD five billion to meet the most urgent needs of Syrian civilians." At the upcoming conference, the UN is appealing for USD 8.4 billion to help the Syrian refugees, a 40 percent increase from the last event. (end) mao.gta