The United Nations is urging international donors to pledge up to $10 billion to help Syrians fleeing a decade of civil war in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event hosted by the European Union is seeing $4.2 billion for people inside Syria and $5.8 billion for refugees and their hosts in the Middle East while U.N. aid chief Mark Lowcock said the need for humanitarian support has never been so great.
In a statement Lowcock said deteriorating living conditions, economic decline and COVID-19 have resulted in more hunger, malnutrition and disease.
At least 24 million people need basic aid, a rise of four million over the past year and the highest number yet since a crackdown on pro-democracy protesters by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2011 led to civil war.
In a separate statement on Tuesday, the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement called on international donors to help rebuild the country, particularly to repair critical health, water and electricity services.
International Committee of the Red Cross head Peter Maurer also urged world powers to reach a peace deal or face many more annual donor conferences for Syria.
Analysts say Rebuilding destroyed cities will take billions of dollars more and cannot start until powers involved in the conflict, including Russia and Iran, help agree a peace settlement.
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