(Brussels, 14 March 2019) – International donors today pledged a record US$6.97 billion to support millions of people in need of humanitarian aid in Syria as well as to refugees and host communities in the neighbouring countries. Part of the overall pledge, $2.5 billion, is for the EU Facility for Refugees in Turkey this year.

In 2017, donors pledged $6 billion in Brussels and in 2018, $4.4 billion. Total fundraising for 2018 reached just over $6 billion by the end of the year.

“I am pleased with this important signal of the international community’s solidarity with the people in Syria and with Syria’s neighbours who are hosting huge numbers of refugees, and feeling the strain of their generosity,” UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock said.

Funding announced at the third Supporting the future of Syria and the region conference, hosted in Brussels by the European Union and co-chaired by the United Nations, will go towards the UN-coordinated Syria Humanitarian Response Plan and the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan and other activities. These two appeals combined require $8.8 billion and fundraising will continue throughout the year.

“Having a clarified position on funding levels so early in the year gives us confidence that we will be able to sustain a very high level of programming throughout the year. We hope to reach 11.7 million Syrians inside the country with food assistance and millions more with health and water services. To know that there will be funding for that, at this stage of the year, is very important,” Mr. Lowcock said.

The international community also confirmed $2.37 billion in funding for humanitarian, resilience and development activities for the Syria crisis response in 2020 and beyond. Pledges also included support to Palestine refugees in Syria.

Syria is one of the world’s largest protection and displacement emergencies and 11.7 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection inside the country. Over 5.6 million Syrians have fled the country mainly to Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt.

For further information, please call:

Jens Laerke, OCHA Geneva, laerke@un.org , Tel. + +41 22 917 11 42, Cell: +41 79 472 9750 OCHA press releases are available at www.unocha.org or www.reliefweb.int