Aid pledges exceeded the United Nations’ $1.5 billion humanitarian appeal for Syrians at Wednesday’s donor conference in Kuwait. The next question is when those pledges will translate to real aid.
Three Gulf states pledged $300 million each. A coalition of nongovernmental organizations also promised some $183 million. Here’s a breakdown of some of the money that donors have pledged to provide to Syria, including announcements made prior to the event:
Kuwait: $300 million.
United Arab Emirates: $300 million.
Saudi Arabia - $300 million.
United States: $155 million.
European Union: €100 million ($135.2 million).
United Kingdom: 50 million pounds ($78.8 million).
Canada: 25 million Canadian dollars ($24.9 million).
Bahrain: $20 million.
Germany: €10 million ($13.5 million).
Switzerland: 10 million Swiss franc ($10.9 million).
Australia: 10 million Australian dollars ($10.4 million).
Ireland: €4.7 million ($6.4 million).
Denmark: 30 million Danish kroner for the World Food Program ($5.4 million).
Finland: €3.5 million ($4.7 million).
Spain: €3 million ($4 million).
The United Nations has yet to provide a breakdown of all pledges, but a number of U.N. officials have expressed satisfaction over the conference’s outcome. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the pledges brought “a message of hope” to Syrians that continue to be affected by the ongoing violence. U.N. refugee chief António Guterres, meanwhile, said the pledges were “unprecedented” and would allow his agency to “do much more.”
Limited funding is among the constraints aid groups face in Syria and neighboring countries hosting Syrian refugees.
“Money has been pledged, but that is just the start. We now have to do all we can to turn that into action on the ground,” U.N. humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said in a statement. Her words were seconded by Oxfam International’s Nigel Timmins, who said, “there should be no delay.” Timmins also said donors should “prepare for the long-haul.” The U.N. appeal covers needs only until June.
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