Britain, Norway pledge extra $2.9 bln for Syria before donor conference
LONDON - Britain and Norway pledged on Thursday to spend an additional $2.9 billion in aid for Syrians by 2020, seeking to build momentum for a donor conference that the United Nations hopes will raise more than $7 billion for this year alone.
UN agencies are appealing for $7.73 billion to cope with the disaster this year, with a further $1.2 billion needed to fund national response plans by countries in the region.
For European nations, improving the humanitarian situation in Syria and neighbouring countries is seen as critical to reduce incentives for Syrians to travel to Europe, where a huge refugee crisis has put many countries under severe strain.
"We can provide the sense of hope needed to stop people thinking they have no option but to risk their lives on a dangerous journey to Europe," British Prime Minister David Cameron said in a statement, announcing a new pledge of 1.2 billion pounds ($1.75 billion).
