Syria- Aid? What aid?

In 2008 Syria’s agriculture minister stated publicly that the economic and social effect of the drought was beyond the country’s ability to cope. In a plea to the United States, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization representative communicated his hope that “improving relations” between the U.S. and Syria might urge the U.S. to become a donor to the Syria drought appeal.  The U.S. government retorted: “Given the generous funding the U.S. currently provides to the Iraqi refugee community in Syria and the persistent problems the World Food Program (WFP) is experiencing with its efforts to import food for the refugee population, we question whether limited USG resources should be directed toward this appeal at this time.”

In August 2009 the UN launched The Syria Drought Response Plan seeking about USD 52.9 million, with food and provision of key agriculture inputs.

Nevertheless the US failed to assist in easing the effects of the drought and as a result of the deficiency of U.S. leadership, the global response was weak:

·      $700,000 from the Spanish government

·      $1.4 million from the CERF [the Central Emergency Response Fund]

·      WFP received $2.2 million out of $22 million needed.

The Financial Tracking Service (FTS) of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) shows that only 7.6 percent of the plan was funded.

In 2010, The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies published a report on the Syrian drought, stating that around 800,000 people were extremely vulnerable, and “over the past three years, their income has decreased by 90 percent and their assets and sources of livelihood have been severely compromised.” Fuel to the fires of violence undoubtedly?

Sources-

• ·      Evolution of Transboundary Politics in the Euphrates-Tigris River System: New Perspectives and Political Challenges, Kibaroglu, A ; Scheumann, W, Global Governance, 2013, Vol.19(2), pp.279-305
• ·    Water and international conflict, Haftendorn, Helga,Third World Quarterly, 2000, Vol.21(1), p.51-68 [Peer Reviewed Journal], Taylor & Francis Group