LOC18:10
15:10 GMT
KUWAIT, March 31 (KUNA) -- Nations meeting in Kuwait at a third set of donor talks for Syria on Tuesday pledged a total of USD 3.8 billion after a set target of USD 8.4 billion.
The amount represented a significant USD 1.4 billion rise since the former talks only a year earlier which raised USD 2.4 billion (90 percent of which have been fulfilled).
Neighbouring nations, including Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Egypt had been calling for assistance to target development needs alongside humanitarian amid a new approach to the efforts.
This was proposed through what were deemed as Resilience Response Plans aimed at serving the long-term sustainable needs of the refugees as their conflict continues to run through its fifth year without any solution looming.
Earlier, Gulf states pledged a total USD 660 million - including USD 500 million from Kuwait alone - with the US pledging USD 507 million and the EU vowing EUR 500 million (USD 538 million) in pledges to currently the worst refugee crisis on the planet.
Germany pledged EUR 155 million (USD 166.4 million), during an announcement of the sum made by Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid Christoph Strasser.
Announcing the distribution mechanism, he said that EUR 80 million will target humanitarian affairs in 2015, while EUR 75 million will be spread out over coming years.
The pledges will also target development projects, which represent a large portion of the sum, he went on to explain.
Spain pledged EUR five million (USD 5.4 million), Austria EUR two million (USD 2.15 million), Belgium EUR 10.2 million (USD 11 million), Czech Republic EUR four million (USD 4.3 million), France EUR 20 million (USD 21.5 million), Finland promised EUR 15 million (USD 16 million), Ireland EUR 13 million (USD 14 million) and Latvia EUR 25,000 (USD 27,000).
Australia pledged USD 20 million, while Switzerland pledged USD 25.7 million, India (USD two million) and South Korea (USD 15 million) as Brazil pledged USD two million in food relief.
Estonia (USD 300,000), Lithuania (USD 40,000), Slovakia (USD 30,000), Botswana (USD two million), Romania (USD 130,000), Bulgaria (USD 100,000).
Iran, which did not pledge any amounts, said it was against foreign intervention in the Syrian conflict, in a speech delivered by Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. (end)
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