USAID distributing ‘basic hygiene supplies’ to displaced Syrians

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is distributing “hygiene kits” at a Syrian refugee camp as part of a $385 million effort to help those affected by the country’s ongoing civil war, according to a statement published on the U.S. Embassy’s website Thursday.

“Good basic personal hygiene and hand washing are critical to help prevent the spread of illness and disease, and providing basic hygiene supplies and education was identified as a priority in the camp,” the statement reads in part.

The family hygiene kits include towels, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo and feminine pads. USAID is also providing containers for water transportation and storage, building and repairing water pumps and septic tanks, and establishing trash removal services at the camp near the Turkish border.

More than 60,000 people have died in the nearly two-year-old conflict in Syria. The White House and Congress have grappled with how to deal with the increasingly combustible situation.

The Obama administration has repeatedly pushed for regional powers to take the lead in resolving the crisis, and has opposed arming the rebels because it has said the weapons could fall into the wrong hands.


Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and others have criticized the administration for not doing enough to remove the Syrian government from power.


Secretary of State John Kerry said last week the administration is weighing new options for dealing with Syrian strongman Bashar Assad, suggesting the United States may yet ramp up its involvement in the country's civil war.

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