Brussels, 11 May 2022 (TDI): Oxfam has expressed its support for donor pledges to end Syrian hunger. This was in response to pledges made by donors at the Syrian conference in Brussels.
Moutaz Adham, the Country Director of Oxfam in Syria, expressed his gratitude for the pledges. The commitments prove that the international community has not forgotten the Syrian people, according to Oxfam’s Country Director in Syria.
Donors’ priorities lagging behind
Despite this, the situation in Syria does not reflect the goals of the donors. For more than a decade, there has been an excessive emphasis on emergency relief. This has reduced the focus on long-term solutions to issues like food and water scarcity.
Schools and hospitals are desperately needed in Syria. Syria’s education and health system have been impacted by the country’s 11-year of civil war. Health facilities in northern Syria require attention and care.
Syrian Crisis
Children under the age of five are particularly vulnerable to preventable diseases. Women who are pregnant have also been affected. The Syrian people require homes that can withstand the elements and are free of rubble and old explosives.
They require work in order to feed their families and stop relying on aid. For political reasons, humanitarian organizations have been unable to meet the long-term requirements of Syrians.
The Syrian people have been hurt by the polarization of the humanitarian services. Politics has robbed Syrians of their future and pushed them deeper into poverty.
Syrians have never been so hungry. 3 in 5 people do not know where their next meal will come from. One month’s living costs equals two months’ salary. The war in Ukraine will only increase hunger and poverty.
“Last year, donors only gave half the money needed to help people in Syria. Syrians cannot afford for this to happen yet again this year. Donors need to think long-term. Short-term solutions are not good enough,” Oxfam’s Country Director in Syria said.
