BREAKING NEWS

Aid agencies say funding gap endangers Syrian refugees

By REUTERS

JUNE 25, 2015 14:23

BEIRUT - United Nations aid agencies said on Thursday that a $4.5 billion appeal to tackle the Syrian refugee crisis in 2015 was less than a quarter funded, putting millions of vulnerable people at risk, and had already led to cuts in vital assistance.

The shortfall has meant 1.6 million refugees have had their food assistance cut this year and 750,000 children are not attending school, the agencies and partner organizations said, calling on countries to deliver on their pledges.

"We are so dangerously low on funding that we risk not being able to meet even the most basic survival needs of millions of people over the coming six months," the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said in the statement which represented more than 200 groups involved in the appeal.

The refugee response plan is a $5.5 billion appeal, with $4.5 billion earmarked for U.N. agencies and non-governmental organizations. An additional $1 billion is intended to help regional countries hosting refugees.

Of the money for the agencies and NGOs only $1.06 billion had been received by the end of May, leaving a $3.47 billion funding gap, the statement said. It did not specify which donors had failed to deliver on their pledges.

"If more funds are not forthcoming soon, up to 130,000 vulnerable families will not be provided with cash assistance to help them meet their basic needs and vulnerable people will stop receiving their monthly food vouchers altogether," it said.

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