EU Trebles Assistance Pledge for Syrians in 2016

“We are doing our best against very hard odds”, the king said, but added: “We have reached our limit”. The conflict has killed more than 250,000 people and displaced 11 million Syrians from their homes, including 4 million who have fled the country.

Cameron said the global community would help the three main refugee host countries to meet their commitments on jobs and education, including with $40 billion of loans from financial institutions and the opening up of European markets.

World leaders pledged over US$10 billion to Syrians affected by the five-year civil war at a donor conference in London Thursday, smashing the US$9 billion target.

“As we heard from Syrian colleagues over the past two days, unless political will to end the violence inside Syria is put into action, the numbers of the dead will rise as will the numbers seeking refuge in the neighbouring countries and in Europe”.

The British Prime Minister said the money raised at the conference was the “largest amount of money ever raised in one day in response to a humanitarian crisis”.

A Syrian government offensive, backed by Russian air strikes, is continuing north of Aleppo.

He said the assistance, which is expected to be announced during the conference, will further support Jordan’s developmental projects and contribute to developing infrastructure, health, education water and energy sectors.

In a sum that is likely to swell as the year goes on, Kerry said $600 million will go to the United Nations and other agencies for emergency food, shelter and health in Syria and neighboring countries, where millions of refugees have fled.

One day before the conference, U.N.-led talks in Geneva aimed at achieving a cease-fire in Syria were abruptly suspended.

“It is clear that the countries surrounding Syria are now overwhelmed by refugees for instance Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey”.

In a blunt attack on Russia, Turkey’s Davutoglu told a news conference that those supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces were committing war crimes and called on the United States to adopt a more decisive stance against Russia.

Elsewhere in Syria, the International Committee of the Red Cross announced that food and relief aid had been delivered to more than 12,000 people in the besieged rebel-held town of Moadamiyeh, near Damascus, Wednesday.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said they were “undermined by the continuous lack of sufficient humanitarian access and by a sudden increase of aerial bombings and military activities within Syria”, the BBC reported.

Donor countries also want to see the refugees employed on infrastructure projects – which would also benefit the host nations – or in special business zones where Syrians and local people can work side by side. “With our solidarity and generosity, we can bring true hope to the people of Syria”, he said.

Russia’s foreign ministry said Kerry and Lavrov also agreed to try to ensure the pause in the Geneva talks was a short as possible. The organization continues to call on the Obama Administration to couple humanitarian aid with a significant increase in the resettlement of Syrian refugees and to champion the right of refugees to work and to cross borders to secure protection.