Feb232018

UN migration agency seeks $194 million in funding to help Syrians affected by 7-year conflict

United Nations
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The United Nations migration agency on Friday launched an appeal for $194 million to help displaced Syrians living in and outside their war-torn country as well as the communities hosting them.

Seven years into the armed conflict in Syria, the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate. Over 13 million people are still in need of humanitarian assistance inside the country, including 6.1 million internally displaced. Nearly 3 million people are living in hard-to-reach or besieged areas.

In addition, over 5.5 million Syrians have taken refuge in the five neighbouring countries of Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt. 

With its 2018 appeal, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) seeks to assist:

  • 1 million people with non-food items and shelter support
  • 800,000 people with access to safe water and services
  • 500,000 people with health services
  • 500,000 people with community-led protection services
  • 200,000 people with livelihood opportunities
  • 135,000 displaced people to receive adequate services in camps
  • 35,000 children to attend school

“These interventions are vital to ensuring that Syrians get the life-saving assistance and livelihood support that many desperately need,” said IOM Director General William Lacy Swing, from the Organization’s headquarters in Geneva.

Since the crisis began, economic growth within host countries has been severely affected. With high unemployment rates, especially among young people, and limited resource availability, it is challenging for governments and municipalities to provide basic services.

IOM tracked 850,000 internally displaced persons returning to their areas of origin during 2017. During the same period, however, 2.9 million people continued to flee their homes, illustrating the continuing adverse effect of violence and conflict on the Syrian population.

Access to primary health care has been drastically reduced inside Syria, while agricultural production has been cut in half compared to 2011 levels.

In 2017, IOM organized the transportation of over 37,000 Syrian refugees from Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt to 23 countries including Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Sweden, Norway, the United States and the Netherlands, among others.