UNDP: $2.4bn needed for Syrian refugees in Jordan

The Jordanian government is asking the international community to donate USD 2.4 billion to meet needs of Syrian refugees in the country, said the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Friday. The UNDP said the Jordanian government would spend the sum on projects of necessity that would hopefully lessen the suffering of Syrian refugees, noting that the UN, international community, and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) would work together to meet the needs of Syrian refugees. The UN called for gathering USD 6.5 billion to help more than 16 million Syrians affected by the conflict in their country. The sum would mainly be distributed to Syrian refugees in neighboring countries. In an effort to aid the refugees, Kuwait will host the second donors' conference for Syria next week. According to official Jordanian statistics, there are around 1.2 million Syrians in Jordan, many of them sought refuge after the conflict began in March 2011.