US to provide over $800 million in humanitarian aid to Syria

Linda Thomas-Greenfield. File photoWASHINGTON, May 10.Washington will provide more than $800 million in humanitarian aid to Syria, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said. of the United States, ever declared at the Brussels Conference,» the website of the US Permanent Mission to the UN quotes Thomas-Greenfield as she said at the annual ministerial conference of Syrian donors in the Belgian capital.The US canceled the meeting on the Elbe, the Ambassador also noted that the situation in Ukraine has led to a «serious shortage of wheat and fertilizer», which raises concerns about possible food shortages and rising prices in the Middle East and Africa, including in Syria. «That's why this year the allocation of humanitarian aid to the people of Syria is especially important,» said Thomas-Greenfield. This year's annual ministerial conference of Syrian donors is taking place without Russia's participation, which has led to a change in its format. Previously, the UN and the EU jointly co-chaired the conference. However, this time the EU did not invite Russia, as a result of which the UN could not act as a co-chair of the forum. The previous conference on Syria «Brussels-5» was held at the end of March last year. Traditionally, it takes place without the participation of representatives of the current Syrian authorities, with whom the EU has broken off relations. Last year, the conference participants promised to allocate 5.3 billion euros in grants and 5.9 billion in soft loans to help Syrian refugees in 2021-2022. Damascus said it would not accept a conference on Syria in Brussels without the participation of a delegation Zakharova: Russia will not participate in UNHRC special session on Ukraine