Advertisement

Joint funding comes forward for Syrian refugees

Syrian civilians flee in a vehicle at Houla near Homs, September 9, 2012. UPI
Syrian civilians flee in a vehicle at Houla near Homs, September 9, 2012. UPI | License Photo

LONDON, June 13 (UPI) -- The British and Emirati governments said Thursday they were investing $2.7 million to finance a refugee camp in Jordan for Syrians displaced by civil war.

The British and Emirati governments said they were coordinating their efforts to support operations at a Jordanian refugee camp near the Syrian border.

Advertisement

A string of human rights reports published this week focus on the challenges facing women and children displaced by or directly affected by the Syrian civil war.

British Minister for International Development Alan Duncan said the Emirati partnership would help thousands of children who were forced to flee their homes in Syria to neighboring Jordan.

"Week after week, we have seen the number of refugees fleeing Syria continue to grow. Inevitably, it is children who suffer most," he said in a statement Thursday.

The U.S. State Department said Wednesday it was easing sanctions in Syria to facilitate the delivery of non-military goods "to liberated areas of Syria for the benefit of the Syrian people."

The waiver for goods originating from the United States extends to items used for agricultural production, software and technology. The export of food and medicine doesn't require a special license.

Advertisement

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said Thursday there were 92,901 documented cases of individuals killed during the civil war from its beginning in March 2011 to the end of April.

"The constant flow of killings continues at shockingly high levels," she said in a statement.

Latest Headlines