France contributes 62 million dollars fund for Syria

Paris, April 17: France has decided to contribute around 62 million dollars towards urgent humanitarian aid for Syria. French President Emmanuel Macron said at a meeting with a group of non-governmental organizations (NGO) in Paris.

The funds will be allocated to NGOs and U.N. agencies working on the ground in Syria, including the U.N. office for humanitarian affairs. According to United Nations estimates, some 13 million people including six million children are in need of humanitarian aid in Syria, ravaged by a seven-year war that has displaced millions.

Macron met earlier with representatives of the aid groups who spelled out the humanitarian needs of a population that has endured seven years of war.

The decision comes two days after France took part in US-led air strikes on Damascus, following an alleged chemical attack in the Ghouta town of Douma.

 

The strikes raised fears of an escalation in the conflict that has left 350,000 people dead, but key players on Monday appeared keen to shift the focus to diplomacy.

The projects will focus on the Idlib region where some 1.2 million displaced people live according to UN estimates, as well as the Ghouta region near Damascus and North West in areas recently liberated from the Islamic State (IS) group.

The funds will be allocated to NGOs and UN agencies working on the ground in Syria, including the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the French president's office said.