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UN Appeals for USD 20 mln to Help Syrian Drought Victims - United Nations
KUNA
The UN on Wednesday launched an appeal for USD 20 million to help about one million Syrians, predominantly herders and subsistence farmers, who were hit by the country's worst drought
in four decades.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement here that the situation is not expected to improve until next spring. Rain did not fall for a second year in a row.
An assessment by the UN country team has confirmed that the situation is considerably worse than initially feared.
The requested USD 20.23 million will be used on projects in cooperation with the government and
non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
The statement said the average yield of basic crops has dropped significantly in both irrigated and rain-fed areas and up to 59,000 small herders have lost almost all their herds.
In addition, food prices have risen at a rate outstripping household income and the purchasing power of the general population in the affected areas. The UN inter-agency mission found that many people are eating less,
selling assets or migrating.
Anemia, malnutrition and diarrhea are on the rise, especially among children under five and pregnant women. Drinking water has also decreased in rural areas of the northeast, particularly in
villages depending on protected wells as their only source. The majority of the funding USD14 million is required for agriculture and livelihoods while USD 5 million will go for food.
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