May 21, 2013, 10:23:12
Syria refugees Turkey Switzerland
AFP PHOTO / BULENT KILIC

Switzerland provides additional funds for Syrian refugees

By Stanislava Gaydazhieva |

The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs announced today that it will provide CHF 500,000 (around 415 088 euro) to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The money will be used to support the Syrian refugees in Turkey whose number has been estimated to 120 000 (only the registered refugees who arrived in Turkey). The amount will be spent to purchase heaters, stoves, winter clothes and other items which could help to facilitate the life in the refugee camps in the face of the coming winter.

In addition, the Swiss are sending an expert from the Humanitarian Aid Unit (SKH) to assist the UN World Food Programme (WFP) in its activities in the refugee camps in the country.

The decision was taken after in the past weeks two assessment teams were sent to Turkey to determine how Switzerland could support the country and the international organisations active in the region in their attempts to care for the Syrian refugees.

Moreover, the humanitarian aid unit will give additional CHF 350,000 (around 290,581 euro) to the UNHCR in Syria. This amount will mainly be used to help internally displaced people.

The total amount of Switzerland's commitment to Syria, including to Syrian refugees in the neighbouring countries of Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, currently stands at CHF 14.3 million.

In 2010, the country was in top 20 of the largest donors of official humanitarian aid.

#TAGGED

Asia,
Demography,
Department of Foreign Affairs,
Forced migration,
Human Interest,
Human migration,
Internally displaced person,
Iraqis in Syria,
Persecution,
Population,
Refugee,
Right of asylum,
Syria,
Turkey,
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,

taxonomy

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