The United Nations Resident Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs in Syria, Adam Abdel Mawla, announced on Friday March 22 that at least 12.9 million people were suffering from food insecurity. The country remains torn by war since 2011 and affected by international and Western sanctions.
2 mins
With our regional correspondent, Paul Khalifeh
In one year, the number of Syrians dependent on food aid to meet their vital needs has increased by 1.5 million people, rising to 16.7 million individuals. Among these people in distress, almost 13 million do not have enough to eat, 7 million are displaced within Syria and as many are refugees outside, particularly in neighboring countries.
Adam Abdella indicated that the Syrian conflict remains “ one of the bloodiest crises for civilians around the world “. Since its outbreak in 2011 in the context of the Arab Spring, the war in Syria has left more than 507,000 dead, displaced millions of people and plunged the country into a major economic and humanitarian crisis.
The situation is not likely to improve in the coming months. The UN humanitarian official revealed that the United Nations only raised $8 million after launching an appeal for aid worth $4 billion to finance the humanitarian needs of the Syrian population. As of March 1, “ only 0.02% » of the needs of the annual humanitarian response plan have been financed, which shows that “ vital programs and services » are being reduced.
Inaction would mean that at least 2.5 million children could be out of school, and around 2.3 million women of childbearing age could ” losing access to life-saving reproductive and maternal health care “, he indicated.
This dramatic deterioration in living conditions is not surprising. On January 1, the World Food Program had discontinued due to lack of financial means the aid it provided to 5.6 million people in Syria. The United Nations estimates that 90% of the Syrian population lives below the poverty line.
Furthermore, according to the UN official, ignoring the Syrian crisis could have consequences “ catastrophic “, in particular the “ resurgence of terrorism » and the destabilization of neighboring countries such as Lebanon and Jordan, “ by not creating conditions conducive to the return of refugees “.
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