Kuwait City — Kuwait and the European Union announced Tuesday around 1.6 billion euros ($1.7 billion) to help alleviate war-torn Syria's humanitarian crisis, which Kuwait's emir called the worst in “modern history.” The United States pledged $507 million at an international donors' conference for Syria on Tuesday as the United Nations issued an appeal for $8.4 billion in commitments this year — the organizations largest appeal yet for the war-ravaged country. Stressing the gravity of the situation, UN chief Ban Ki-moon told participants that four out of five Syrians live in poverty. Opening the conference, Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah said: “I am pleased to announce the pledging of $500 million from Kuwait's government and private sectors to support the humanitarian efforts in Syria. “We are meeting here to face the biggest humanitarian catastrophe in the modern history of mankind,” he said, calling on global powers to find a political solution to a civil war now in its fifth year. The emir urged the UN Security Council, especially the five permanent members, to “abandon differences and find a political solution to the destructive conflict.” In Brussels, meanwhile, EU aid commissioner Christos Stylianides announced a commitment of nearly 1.1 billion euros, double the amount the bloc promised last year. “The needs are overwhelming, and an extraordinary effort is needed by the wider donor community to mobilise significant funding,” he said in a statement. The money consists of 500 million euros in “humanitarian aid, early recovery and longer-term stabilisation assistance” from the European Commission, with the balance coming in pledges from the bloc's 28 countries, the EU said. Ahead of this year's gathering, the German government said it will pledge $277 million in new aid. Gulf envoys addressing the conference said the United Arab Emirates pledged $100 million. Saudi Arabia pledged $60 million, while Norway said it would pay $93 million. At last year's donors' conference, about $2.4 billion were pledged, though the UN had called for $6.5 billion in pledges. In 2013, some $1.5 billion were pledged, less than half of the UN's appeal for $4.4 billion. Tuesday's conference, attended by representatives from nearly 80 countries, was preceded by a meeting of charitable organisations, which pledged a total of $506 million. “Failing to meet the required funds risks resulting in a horrifying and dangerous humanitarian catastrophe,” Abdullah Al-Maatuq, UN special envoy for humanitarian affairs, said as he opened that meeting. UN humanitarian affairs chief Valerie Amos said the donor response at Tuesday's conference “needs to be comprehensive.” — Agencies
