During the fourth Brussels Syria Conference on Tuesday, donors pledged US$7.7 billion (AU$11.1 billion), falling short of the US$10 billion (AU$14.4 billion) requested by the UN to support Syrian families. The total amount pledged is US$1.7 billion (AU$2.45 billion) less than last year’s total.
Sonia Khush, Syria Country Director for Save the Children, said:
“Today’s pledges are a signal of the international community’s ongoing commitment to Syria, but it is disappointing that the amount pledged is considerably lower than last year.
“It is especially painful as the needs of Syrian children only continue to grow in the face of Covid-19 and spiralling economic crises as well.
“We welcome the commitment of donors to focus on helping children recover from a crisis which has blighted their lives for the past decade.
“These children have been uprooted from their homes and have often experienced distressing events, which continue to take an immense toll on their mental health.
“Increased support is urgently needed to bolster the psychosocial safety and emotional wellbeing of these children, just as it’s vital to increase funding for quality education, to prevent a generation being lost.
“Children have told us they do not feel safe and confident about their futures without an end to this conflict and, until that time, we must ensure that aid workers can work across borders to reach families in North West Syria with the vital aid they depend on.”
