WASHINGTON (April 27, 2018) — At an international conference in Belgium this week, the United States did not pledge any funding for humanitarian aid to Syrians affected by eight years of conflict. Overall, the meeting raised $4.4 billion, but fell short of the $9 billion in assistance the United Nations estimates is needed.
CARE President and CEO Michelle Nunn said:
“It’s very disappointing that the U.S. is walking away from the leadership role it has historically played in the region and around the world. Eight years into the Syrian conflict, more than 13 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance in Syria and around a quarter of the Syrian population is displaced in surrounding nations.
Even if the U.S. eventually steps up and does the right thing—which it absolutely should do—a lot of damage has already been done. Other donor countries, Syrian civilians, aid organizations and those who have looked to America for leadership have been given the signal that the U.S. is turning a blind eye to this brutal conflict. Not to mention the decreased influence the U.S. will now have in the Middle East and around the world.”
In Brussels, CARE International issued a with nine NGOs, including Oxfam, Save the Children, and World Vision, arguing that the “conference didn’t go nearly far enough to provide adequate support to the millions of Syrians in need of assistance and who are left facing an uncertain future.”
About CARE
Founded in 1945 with the creation of the CARE Package®, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE places special focus on working alongside women and girls because, equipped with the proper resources, they have the power to lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty. That’s why women and girls are at the heart of CARE’s community-based efforts to improve education and health, create economic opportunity, respond to emergencies and confront hunger. Last year CARE worked in 93 countries and reached 63 million people around the world. Learn more at care.org.
Media Contacts
Mahmoud Shabeeb, mshabeeb@care.org, +962-79-146-39-03, Skype: Mahmoud.shabeen_1 (based in Jordan)
Nicole Harris, nharris@care.org, 404-735-0871