Syria donor conference raises $11 billion for 2016-2020: UK’s Cameron

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon hailed the aid conference as “a great success”. In all, the United States has committed $5.1 billion in aid since 2011, the most of any nation.

Representatives from sixty countries will be at the event, whose objective is to help provide education and work opportunities for younger refugees, 4.6 million of whom are in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan.

Around a quarter of a million people have been killed and millions displaced, while those still in or near their homes are experiencing extraordinary hardship.

“In supporting our refugee response you will not only be addressing the urgent needs of millions, you will be helping my country continue to do the right thing – fulfilling a critical role in our region and staying strong for the world”. Thursday’s conference is being jointly hosted by the UK, Germany, Norway, Kuwait and the UN. “It means millions of people will now receive food, life-saving medical care and shelter in Syria and beyond”, he added. The head of the International Rescue Committee, David Miliband, said the world had underestimated the scale of refugees and the seriousness of the refugee crisis.

But while leaders were congratulating themselves for a job well done, aid groups were quick to point out at the donations are just one step in a long road to relief for the Syrian people.

Ban endorsed the decision by the United Nations mediator, Staffan de Mistura, to suspend the Geneva talks Wednesday, only two days after they formally started.

“We have to be shoulder-to-shoulder against those committing war crimes”, he said.

Neither statement mentioned any concrete measures.

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Tammam Salam called for “empathy” and “courage”.

 Several Syrian civil society organisations have complained that they were not represented enough in the conference and were treated in a “stereotyped and patronising way”.

Forces loyal to the Assad regime have pushed forward in recent days to capitalize on gains from an aerial bombing campaign by allies Russian Federation, overshadowing the now-stalled peace talks earlier this week.

Education campaigner Malala Yusafzai and 17-year-old Syrian refugee Mezon al-Melihan met with Cameron and other leaders to press for $1.4 billion for education for children in Syria and its neighbors.

Cameron, who was co-hosting the conference, said a “new approach” was needed to address “one of the worst humanitarian crises of our time”.

“This should also include a thorough market analysis to understand the labor markets in host countries”, they said.

More jobs and schooling would be provided for refugees in neighbouring countries, he said.

“Now 10 000 new refugees are waiting in front of the door of Kilis because of air bombardment and attacks against Aleppo”, he said, referring to a Turkish town on the Syrian border.

“We have reached our limit”, the king said.