Number of Syrians in need of humanitarian aid rises to over 8 million by UN High Commissioner for Refugees 10:52pm 25th Apr, 2013   21 May 2013    A senior United Nations humanitarian official reported today that the total number of people in need of assistance as a result of the ongoing conflict in Syria is now 8.3 million, representing about 38 per cent of the country’s population.    This figure includes some 6.8 million in need inside the country and 1.5 million who have sought refuge in neighbouring countries, Panos Moumtzis, Regional Coordinator for Syrian Refugees for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).    “The situation in the neighbouring countries and movement of refugees across the border is obviously a direct consequence of the increased level of insecurity inside Syria, and in particular in areas of conflict,” he told a news conference in Geneva.    The needs have been growing rapidly in Syria, where over 70,000 civilians have lost their lives since the uprising seeking to oust President Bashar Al-Assad began in March 2011. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has labelled the situation in Syria a “humanitarian catastrophe” and warned that funding for the response has not kept pace with the growing needs.    In January, more than $1.5 billion was pledged by donors for the humanitarian response to the Syrian crisis. Early next month, the UN and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are due to announce a revised funding appeal in light of the growing needs.    Mr. Moumtzis said that the humanitarian situation in Syria has been “rapidly spiralling downwards” since the start of the year, and concerns are increasing with the onset of warmer weather in the region.    “UNHCR is now very much worried about the coming summer months and in particular the increase in temperatures and the associated health problems linked to water and sanitation,” he stated, adding that agencies are doing their best to ensure that there are no outbreaks of diseases.    Regarding the situation in the neighbouring countries, Mr. Moumtzis reported that there are now 500,000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon and 500,000 in Jordan.    “Such a significant number of refugees in a tiny country like Lebanon – with growing unemployment and insecurity, tremendous political pressure inside the country and the complexity of regional politics – made the Lebanese situation extremely dangerous,” he noted.    May 2013    UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres, warned the United Nations Security Council that without an end to the fighting soon, almost half Syria"s 20.8 million population could be in need of humanitarian help by the end of 2013.    Guterres said 400,000 refugees had fled Syria in the last seven weeks, bringing the population of Syrians registered as refugees or waiting to be registered to 1,367,413. If current trends continue, he said, then by the end of the year there may be up to 3.5 million Syrian refugees, together with 6.5 million people inside Syria who may become in need of help.    "These figures are terrifying," he said. "This is not just frightening, it risks becoming simply unsustainable. There is no way to adequately respond to the enormous humanitarian needs these figures represent. And it is difficult to imagine how a nation can endure so much suffering."    "I know that, as High Commissioner for Refugees, I should confine my remarks to the scope of my mandate," he added. "But as a citizen of the world, I cannot refrain from asking: Isn"t there any way to stop this fighting, to open the door for a political solution?"    Guterres told the Security Council that humanitarian funding needs had become so urgent that governments would need to look at extraordinary funding mechanisms to avoid the international response capacity becoming overwhelmed. He also warned of the growing pressure the refugee crisis is exerting on countries in the region.    "The first step necessary… is for the international community to provide massive support to the two countries that are most dramatically impacted by the Syrian conflict and the refugee outflow it has caused – Jordan and Lebanon," he said.    "For Lebanon, the Syrian crisis has become an existential threat. The population has grown by more than 10 per cent if one counts the registered Syrian refugees alone… [In Jordan], like in Lebanon, the Syria crisis has caused a significant drop in revenues from trade, tourism, and foreign investment, compounded by the impact of a very large refugee influx."    Guterres also noted the huge impact the crisis is having on Turkey, which he said deserved particular recognition for having provided more than $750 million in direct assistance to over 300,000 Syrian Refugees.    "Helping Syria"s neighbours deal with the human fallout of this terrible conflict is crucial for preserving the stability of the entire region. This is not just another refugee crisis – what happens in Syria and in the neighbouring countries potentially has much wider, even global, implications."    http://reliefweb.int/country/syr http://www.unocha.org/crisis/syria    http://www.wfp.org/countries/syria http://www.unhcr.org/pages/4f86c2426.html    http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/syriancrisis_68134.html    http://theelders.org/article/no-fuel-no-electricity-no-food-crisis-syria    http://unocha.org/top-stories/all-stories/syria-8-things-you-need-know-about-syrian-humanitarian-crisis Visit the related web page
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