Syrian refugees are seen at the Reyhanli Refugee Camp in Antakya, Turkey. (File photo)
An international donor conference has kicked off in Kuwait to collect funds for the Syrian civilians who have been affected by the prolonged conflict in Syria.
The one-day conference was inaugurated on Wednesday with the aim of raising 1.5 billion dollars for the Syrian civilians who are living in the dire conditions caused by the ongoing violence in the country.
The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also attended the conference, urging both the Syrian government and the opposition to put an end to the conflict.
Ban reiterated the importance of collecting financial aid for the troubled Syrian civilians, saying that, “The situation in Syria is catastrophic.”
He went on to say that the civilians are “suffering tremendously and we should give them the right assistance.”
Meanwhile, Kuwait has pledged a USD 300 million in aid to the Syrians. “Due to the great sufferings of the Syrian people and to help ensure the success of the conference, I announce the Kuwaiti donation of USD 300 million for the Syrian people,” Kuwait Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah told the participants.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in mid-January that 100,000 more Syrians have left the country over the past month, and the total number of refugees has now topped the 600,000 mark.
The UN refugee agency said a total of 612,134 Syrians had been registered or were in the process of being registered as refugees in Syria’s neighboring countries and North Africa and nearly 176,600 others have been registered in Jordan.
Moreover, at least 1,100 Syrians cross the Jordanian border every day, according to the UNHCR.
The Syria unrest began in March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of army and security personnel, have been killed in the violence ever since.
The Syrian government says the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals.
AO/PKH/HJL
