The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Monday (September 17th) appealed for $270 million in urgent funding to address the needs of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and Syrian refugees across the region for the remainder of 2018, the Jordan Times reported.
Emergency funding needs established by the UN agency in Jordan amounted to $70.1 million, said UNHCR’s MENA region spokeswoman Rula Amin.
Critical funding needs in the kingdom included $23.7 million in cash-based interventions, $20 million in winterization and $16.1 million in health services, Amin said.
"UNHCR is increasingly troubled by a looming severe funding shortfall for our work with our partners in support of the millions of Syrian refugees and IDPs in Syria," UNHCR spokesman Babar Baloch said last week.
He warned additional funds are "urgently needed in order to ensure that the most vulnerable among Syria’s refugees and IDPs do not go without vital protection and assistance this year".
At least $196.5 million is needed to enable the UNHCR to continue its programmes through the rest of the year in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt, the UN agency said.
The programmes include cash assistance, protection, health and shelter activities.
"With over 5.6 million Syrian refugees registered across the region — including 2.6 million children, the needs of Syrian refugee families remain acute, with many of them not having the means to cover the basic essentials of life such as healthcare or education," Baloch said.
