Source: US Agency for International Development
Country: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, occupied Palestinian territory, Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey, United States of America
KEY DEVELOPMENTS
- At the February 19 Syria Humanitarian Forum in Geneva, Switzerland, USAID Assistant Administrator for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance Nancy Lindborg announced that the United States is providing an additional $19 million in humanitarian assistance in response to urgent needs of those affected by the ongoing conflict in Syria. The newly announced contribution will enable the distribution of emergency food assistance, health care services, relief commodities, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) activities. To date, the USG has provided nearly $385 million in humanitarian assistance to the Syria response.
- According to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 255,000 Syrians have fled the country in the past eight weeks. At this rate, the number of refugees residing in neighboring countries could reach more than 1.1 million by late April rather than June—exceeding the U.N. planning figures presented in the Syria Regional Response Plan.
- On February 13, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay announced that the conflict in Syria has claimed the lives of nearly 70,000 people since March 2011. The figure represents an increase in the death toll of nearly 10,000 people since the beginning of 2013.