As diplomacy fails Kuwait hopes humanity prevails on Syria

KUWAIT, March 24 (KUNA) -- International pledges worth USD 3.9 billion made over two conferences led by Kuwait helped to underline that the international community has not given up on the victims of the tragic conflict in Syria.
As the numbers of those killed in the four-year conflict continues to rise by the thousands, Kuwait's decision to host a third international donors' conference for Syrian refugees and internally displaced is a straightforward one.
Kuwait's long-term commitment and policies on charitable endeavours had obliged it to respond to the needs of over 700,000 people sent fleeing to neighbouring countries at the time of the first conference due to violence in Syria that killed another 60,000 in just two years, according to UN figures in 2013.
The first conference mustered one of the biggest sets of international pledges ever amassed, USD 1.5 billion - of which Kuwait provided USD 300 million.
Since then, the conflict has grown exponentially, with over 3.8 million refugees now living in camps across Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey and over 200,000 people killed as a result of the conflict, representing one of the biggest humanitarian crises ever known to man.
And with these numbers of refugees growing so too does the urgency to respond to their needs.
Not only is there a huge loss of life in Syria but widescale destruction has extended to hospitals, schools and homes making it difficult for people to remain.
On January 30, 2013, His Highness the Amir inaugurated the first event of its kind dedicated to Syria after being endorsed to do so by the UN, with 59 nations attending alongside an anticipating set of 13 UN agencies.
The UN had set a target of USD 1.5 billion - the biggest ever requested - which was met, representing a huge success on the part of the hosts.
The huge success of the event matched with the ever-growing magnitude of the conflict and casualties ushered in the need for a second conference.
Up to this point, needs grew and the UN requested the much larger figure of USD 6.5 billion.
Sensing the need for further funds, Kuwait this time around hosted charities and NGOs for their own pledging event, as local charities amassed USD 200 million of total Kuwaiti contributions of USD 500 million.
Despite not quite reaching the goal, Kuwait II did manage to collect the larger total of USD 2.4 billion in pledges.
The conflict now enters its fifth year with no solution as it seems yet looming in the horizon. The conflict which began with two sides has now entered a multi-faceted phase and the deaths and destruction continue.
And as diplomacy fails to find a way out of the tragic humanitarian catastrophe, Kuwait continues to hope it can make a difference in the lives of the hundreds of thousands of families who have lost their homes and some, their loved ones. (end) aya.sd