Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syrian Crisis, David Carden, has warned of the repercussions of the humanitarian funding shortage for Syria, affirming that humanitarian assistance provided to those in dire need in northwest Syria is not only related to people’s material and basic needs, but also to their protection and ensuring their sense of safety and security so that they can rebuild their lives and live in peace.
According to the United Nations Information Center, Carden emphasized that his visits to northwest Syria, totaling more than 25 visits since assuming his position with the latest being weeks ago, were a good opportunity to engage directly with the communities there, especially women-led organizations and families, and to improve coordination and ensure better monitoring of the aid program.
Carden was present at the eighth annual Brussels conference on supporting the future of Syria and the region, which he described as “very important” for highlighting the needs of the Syrian people after 13 years of crisis. He warned that the 2024 Syria Humanitarian Response Plan, which aims to raise over four billion dollars, has so far received less than 10 percent of what is required.
The Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syrian Crisis stressed that the funding shortfall for the humanitarian response plan has real consequences on the lives of the most vulnerable people in Syria, including those in northwest Syria, adding that if funding is not received, 160 health facilities will close by the end of June.
He also emphasized the importance of early recovery projects, including water and sanitation projects, mine clearance, and recycling rubble resulting from the devastating earthquake that struck northern Syria in 2023, in addition to supporting farmers and small businesses.
The UN official stated, “We have over 7 million displaced persons throughout Syria, about 3.5 million of them in northwest Syria. There are 16.7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, the highest number ever. They need food assistance and the basics to ensure their survival. After 13 years of crisis, they also need support to enable them to stand on their own feet again.”
The Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syrian Crisis confirmed that there are 3.6 million people in northwest Syria suffering from food insecurity, but we have only been able to target the most food-insecure groups, about 600,000 people. These are the people who will slip into famine if they are not supported.
The UN official explained that during his visits, he inspected a rubble removal project supported by the Humanitarian Assistance Fund across the Syrian border, a joint fund managed by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, through the United Nations Development Program and local partners. This project collects and cleans rubble, removing plastic bags and other non-explosive ordnance that pollute the rubble, then crushes and uses it to rehabilitate roads, ultimately giving farmers better access to markets. Support was also provided to farmers in the form of seeds and tools to enable them to start planting their crops again.