US announces new aid package to respond to Syria crisis

AMMAN — The US on Tuesday announced an additional aid package worth nearly $419 million to assist with the Syrian refugee crisis, of which $44 million will be directed to Jordan.

With the new assistance to Jordan, the White House said, the total amount the Kingdom has received from US humanitarian assistance to refugees since 2012 will be nearly $668 million. 

In Jordan, around 85 per cent of Syrian refugees live in towns and cities, not refugee camps, said the White House, adding the US support to Syrians in Jordan includes cash assistance to meet refugees' basic needs and rehabilitation of inadequate shelters to ensure that refugees do not have to resort to desperate efforts to earn money such as sending children to work instead of going to schools.

The support also goes to schools to enable all children to access the education they need since nearly 90,000 children cannot be accommodated in public schools, the statement said, adding the new funding also includes UNRWA to help it meet the needs of nearly 15,000 Palestinian refugees in Jordan.    

The White House said in a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times that the new funding brings the total US humanitarian assistance in response to the four-year Syrian conflict to more than $1.6 billion in the fiscal year 2015 and over $4.5 billion since the start of the crisis.  

The funding supports UN operations, including the UNHCR, UNICEF, the International Organisation for Migration, and other international and non-governmental organisations.  

It will provide shelter, water, medical care, food, protection and other necessities to millions of people suffering inside Syria and nearly four million refugees who left Syria to neighbouring countries, said the statement, adding that the aid also helps mitigate the impact of the crisis on governments and communities throughout the region that are straining to cope with the mass influx of refugees from Syria.  

Part of the new funding will respond to the 2015 appeals of $8.4 billion from the United Nations for Syria and the region.  

The White House said that even with the newly announced contribution, UN appeals for humanitarian aid to address the crisis in Syria are only 38 per cent funded, resulting in cutbacks to food and other essential services.  

Contributions from other donors are urgently needed and the US continues to advocate for increased contributions through diplomacy and outreach.  

“The United States recognises that along with emergency relief, we must address the long-term development needs of Syria’s neighbours, and the funding we are providing supports communities in neighbouring countries that have so generously hosted those refugees,” said the statement.  

The White House said the US remains committed to assisting those affected by this terrible war, urging all governments, organisations and individuals concerned about the situation to support life-saving aid efforts of UN and other partners.