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US announces $34 million in new humanitarian aid to Syria as winter approaches
The United States is providing an extra $34 million in humanitarian aid to Syrian refugees and people in the country as winter approaches, the State Department announced Friday.
The new aid brings total U.S. humanitarian aid to $165 million. The new assistance includes blankets and heating stoves, an immunization campaign for 1 million children and support for ambulance services to neighboring Lebanon for wounded Syrians.
The announcement come as Syrian opposition forces meeting in Doha, Qatar, this week have so far failed to agree on a united governing body that could take control of areas wrested from the control of President Bashar Assad's forces. The United States has thrown its support behind a controversial proposal to create a 50-member National Syrian Initiative that would include rebels fighting on the ground in Syria and only about 15 members from the main exiled opposition group, the Syrian National Council, which has raised objections.
Winterization: This additional funding from the United States will help meet winterization needs in Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon and keep families warm during the coming winter by providing additional supplies such as blankets, heating stoves, and heavy-duty plastic sheeting to cover windows and other damaged areas of buildings housing those displaced by the Assad regime’s violence inside Syria.
Child Protection and Gender-based Violence Prevention: A portion of these funds will be used to support child protection issues, psychosocial support, and education, as well as measures to prevent gender-based violence.
Health: This additional funding will also support an immunization campaign that will protect up to one million children inside Syria from measles and other preventable diseases. In addition, we are increasing support for the logistical operation that allows life-saving aid to be delivered when and where possible in Syria.
Medical Transport: This funding will also support the transport of wounded Syrians from the Lebanon-Syria border so they can receive the medical attention they desperately need. By funding critical ambulatory services in Lebanon, the United States is helping fill a clear gap in existing humanitarian assistance.
