UN Warns Over Syria Drought Disaster
The UN is gearing up to bring emergency relief to north-east Syria, where a severe and persistent drought has forced more than 300.000 people to leave their homes.
The international community has not yet come up with the necessary funds because of Syrias diplomatic isolation with other countries.
The UN is seeking some 53 million US dollar in emergency funds but has not received any money yet from donors.
UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Damascus Officer Mostafa Shbib said that he expected the organizations own emergency response fund to allocate some money next week, which should allow the operation to start.
Al together, more than a million people are affected by the devastating effects of the worst drought that Syria has seen in decades. Many more people are suffering in Iraq, in Jordan, in parts of Turkey and Lebanon.
The UN and the Red Cross have provided very limited assistance, and the Syrian government has distributed food aid and introduced a system of tax breaks and new loans for farmers.
But none of it is enough, and the UN says the crisis is simply too big for any government to handle on its own.
Kilde: www.worldbank.org
