UN, Kuwait seek successful Second Donor Conference for Syria

UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos on Thursday said the UN and its partners, along with the Kuwaiti Government, are working hard to make the Second Donor Conference for Syria a "success." She told a press conference on the work of her office worldwide during the year 2013 and its projected work for the year 2014 that on January 15, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will chair the Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria, hosted by His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. "We are working hard to make that event a success," she stressed. She noted that "we are talking to member states. We have a sustained effort from the Secretary-General down, but also the Kuwaiti Government, we are talking to all our partners who rose to the challenge through 2013 to try to make sure we raise the resources required for Syria and neighbouring countries. " She recalled that in mid-December, the UN launched the "largest ever appeal for a single humanitarian emergency crisis in Syria and surrounding countries. We requested USD 6.5 billion for this year." The amount is almost half of the overall appeal of USD 12.9 billion to reach millions of people worldwide with life-saving aid in 2014. She noted that in Syria itself, 9.3 million people need aid, 6.5 million of them are internally displaced and more than 2.3 million have left their countries as refugees mainly in neighbouring countries, adding that the collapse of the country's infrastructure, the targeting of civilians, and the militarization of schools and hospitals remain "major concerns." "We continue to stress the need for a political solution to the crisis. Every day that passes leads to the further deterioration of the situation, and we on the humanitarian side, we can only do so much. We are doing our utmost to support the people affected by this bloody conflict. The funding that we need is unprecedented." She said the appeal is "of course for the immediate humanitarian effort inside Syria itself but it is also for the overall stabilization of the countries around Syria, including Lebanon and Jordan. So we are talking about substantial amounts of money that is required here." The USD 1.5 billion sought at the first Kuwait Donor Conference for Syria held on January 30, 2013 remains half-funded. Asked if she would insist that the Security Council adopt a resolution on the humanitarian situation in Syria, she conceded that it would be difficult for the Council to do so in light of the division among its members, adding that it is up to its 15 members to look at the Presidential Statement it approved in August 2012 on the issue, see if it has been implemented and act accordingly. On the UN work worldwide, she said "2013 was a real test of the global humanitarian system, and there is no indication that 2014 will be any different." "It is clear that the United Nations and its partners will be needed more than ever," she stressed, noting that just a little more than two weeks ago, the UN has launched its largest ever funding appeal - USD 12.9 billion - to reach 52 million people in 17 countries with life-saving aid in 2014. Almost half of that appeal - USD 6.5 billion - is sought to help those affected by the deepening crisis in Syria and neighbouring countries. Since that launch, she explained, developments in South Sudan and the Central African Republic have already added tens of thousands of people to those who need our help and support. "And with the ongoing emergencies in Typhoon-hit Philippines and elsewhere, "our collective response capacity and our resources are being stretched to the limit." In South Sudan, she noted, violence has driven an estimated 194,000 people from their homes in a matter of weeks, with more 97,000 seeking protection in the UN peacekeeping missions throughout the country. Some 107,000 people have been reached with assistance and the aim is to reach over 600,000 in the first three months of this year. In Central African Republic, she added, more than 800,000 people are internally displaced and half a million face hunger. text here