UN seeks aid money for Syria at Kuwait conference

UN efforts to raise money for aid for the Syrian crisis have been given a boost after large donations from the US and Kuwait.

At a fundraising conference in the Gulf Arab State, Kuwait’s emir pledged 300 million US dollars (almost 222 million euros) – and America will give an additional 135 million dollars (114.5 million euros) – on top of the 410 million dollars (303 million euros) already donated.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is hoping for other generous donations after it was revealed that under a fifth of the UN’s 1.5 billion dollar target has been raised.

Two thirds of that money is earmarked for helping refugees, who have flooded into neighbouring countries.

Hundreds of thousands of people have left Syria. Sixty-five thousand live at the Zaatari camp in Lebanon. Almost half of them arrived in January.

The rest of the aid money will be used to help those still in Syria.

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