Increasing challenges as Syrian crisis enters its third year: UN

March 16, 2013: As the crisis in Syria enters its third year, United Nations officials on Friday warned that civilian suffering is escalating and humanitarian needs mounting, while funds are rapidly running out.

“Shelter, water, food, basic supplies, health care – all are precarious,” said the Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria, Radhouane Nouicer. “The civilian space is eroding as there is almost no place deemed to be safe. Syrians have no idea when, or if, they will have a normal life again.”

Syria has been wracked by violence since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011. Up to 70,000 people have died, more than 1.1 million have fled to neighbouring countries, 2 million have been internally displaced and up to 4 million are in need of humanitarian assistance. At an aid conference in January, the international community pledged $1.5 billion to respond to the humanitarian crisis resulting from the Syria conflict for the first six months of this year.

Mr. Nouicer warned that the population’s needs are outpacing the speed at which humanitarian aid is reaching them, and stressed that obtaining access to the population is increasingly difficult due to the lack of funds. Many of the ongoing emergency operations are in jeopardy unless more funding arrives.

“Despite all that we have accomplished, we are not managing to reach all people in need now, and the numbers grow by the hour. The chaotic situation does not allow for the collection of accurate data about people in need across the country, and in any case, it is not possible to meet 100 per cent of the needs with only 21 per cent of the funding required for the first half of 2013,” Mr. Nouicer added.

Speaking at a press conference in Beirut, UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres warned that if the war does not end, “there will be an explosion in the Middle East,” and called on governments to create special funds to support Syrian refugees and the countries that are hosting them, including Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey.

So far, UNHCR has only received 30 per cent of funds required to cover the basic needs of all refugees. “There is a gap of $700 million,” Mr. Guterres said. “There is no way a gap of this magnitude can be filled with current humanitarian budgets.”

He also highlighted the enormous strain that host governments are going through. In Lebanon, for example, the population has increased by 10 per cent in just one year, and as numbers continue to grow so does the risk of instability in the region.

UNHCR and its partners are currently covering 85 per cent of health care costs of refugees attending health clinics in Lebanon, while the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has set up remedial classes in some parts of the country, as many children has been out of school for up to two years.