State pledges €12m to help people affected by Syrian crisis

Ireland will provide €12 million in funding and emergency supplies to help people affected by the humanitarian crisis in Syria, Minister of State for Development Seán Sherlock has said.

He made the announcement at a humanitarian pledging conference for Syria in Kuwait. The conference organisers aim to raise €7.7 billion to help some 18 million people in Syria and the region this year.

The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, invited nearly 80 member states to the conference to raise resources for the Syrian crisis.

Mr Sherlock said Ireland’s contribution would fund humanitarian supplies, health, education, water and sanitation services, as well as measures to protect children.

Ireland’s contribution, the Minister said, “will bring the total value of the Irish Government’s response to the crisis in Syria to over €41 million”.

More than 200,000 people have died in the Syrian conflict and a further 12 million have either been displaced or have become refugees in neighbouring countries.

Mr Sherlock said he was particularly concerned about the threat to the safety of the Syrians who are working to provide humanitarian relief and he paid tribute to the Goal workers who were injured in the conflict.

“ I want to underline the need for all parties to this conflict to respect international humanitarian law and to respect the safety and security of frontline humanitarian workers,” he said.