Joint Statement by UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria, Adam Abdelmoula, and Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, Ramanathan Balakrishnan On the Lack of Funding in Syria [EN/AR]

Damascus | Amman, 11 November 2024

With two out of every three persons in dire need of lifesaving and life-sustaining humanitarian assistance, Syria’s humanitarian crisis is deepening and widening. In addition to pre-existing caseload of 16.7 million persons in need of humanitarian assistance, since 24 September, 510,000 Syrian, Lebanese and Palestinian people fleeing Lebanon for their lives have arrived in Syria. Over 75% of these new arrivals are women, children and people with special needs.

These people have been driven to seek refuge in a country that has already been reeling from over a decade long, protracted humanitarian crisis. Most of the new arrivals are being hosted with relatives and friends in communities that are already struggling. They are accessing services offered through the existing humanitarian response mechanisms which are already stretched to their breaking point.

Today, the US$ 4.07 billion Syria Humanitarian Response Plan is only 27.5 per cent funded. Similarly, since the launch of the Emergency Appeal in September seeking an additional US$324 million to meet the needs of these new arrivals, only a meagre US$32 million has been received. This figure includes a Central Emergency Fund (CERF) allocation of US$12 million.

We strongly urge the donor community to significantly and urgently increase its support for Syria’s humanitarian response. The costs of inaction would be enormous and will go beyond deepening human suffering, in terms of increase in instability in the region, migration outflows beyond the region and deepening of the conflict.