FACT SHEET ON U.S. ASSISTANCE TO THE PEOPLE OF SYRIA

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
U.S. Government Assistance to Syria
Fact Sheet
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC

The United States supports the Syrian people’s aspirations for a Syrian-led transition to a democratic, inclusive, and peaceful Syria. The United Nations estimates that more than 60,000 Syrians have been killed in the nearly two years since unrest and violence began. In the last month alone, the number of Syrians seeking refuge in neighboring countries has risen sharply. More than 700,000 Syrians have registered as refugees since the crisis began, or are awaiting registration in neighboring countries while, inside Syria, an additional 2.5 million people remain internally displaced and 4 million people are in need of assistance. The Syrian regime has sacrificed all legitimacy in a vicious effort to cling to power. U.S. assistance includes vigorous diplomatic support of the Syrian Opposition Coalition, $365 million in humanitarian assistance to help those affected by the conflict, and over $50 million nonlethal support for local opposition councils and civil society inside Syria.

Diplomatic Support

The United States continues to support the Syrian people as the Syrian Opposition Coalition sets a course toward the peaceful, democratic, inclusive future that the people of Syria deserve. We are working with other nations to further isolate the regime and support the Syrian people’s calls for President Assad to step down. We and our international partners actively supported the efforts of the Syrian people to launch the Syrian Opposition Coalition in Doha in November 2012 and, on December 11, 2012, President Obama recognized the Coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people. The Coalition – which includes opponents of the Assad regime from across the political and ethno-sectarian spectrum – has made real progress since its founding, and is stepping up its outreach to women, minorities, religious leaders and civil society. The Coalition has also begun to develop formal structures and plans for a democratic political transition that protects the rights, the dignity, and the aspirations of all Syrians. In Paris on January 28, more than 50 countries supporting the Syrian opposition gathered to reaffirm their commitment to provide support to the Syrian Opposition Coalition and agreed on the urgent need to increase and improve the delivery of humanitarian assistance, including for areas outside of regime control. On February 2, Vice President Biden met with Syrian Opposition Coalition President al-Khatib in Munich. The Vice President praised al-Khatib’s personal courage and leadership of the Coalition and urged al-Khatib to continue his efforts to maintain unity among the SOC leadership, to isolate extremist elements within the broader opposition, and to reach out to – and be inclusive of – a broad range of communities inside Syria.

Humanitarian Assistance

The United States, along with the international community, is tirelessly working to provide humanitarian aid to the innocent civilians affected by the brutal conflict in Syria. In advance of the International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria in Kuwait, President Obama announced an additional $155 million in humanitarian assistance for those suffering as a result of the Assad regime’s brutality. This new funding includes $10 million in humanitarian assistance to provide flour to bakeries in Aleppo previously announced on January 25.

With this new assistance, U.S. humanitarian assistance totals $365 million to help more than 1.5 million people inside Syria and the more than half a million people who have fled to the safety of neighboring countries. Over $200 million of this total goes to address critical needs inside Syria. Our assistance is providing emergency medical care and medical supplies, food aid, and winterization supplies like blankets and heaters for those affected by the crisis, both inside Syria and those now seeking refuge.

U.S. humanitarian aid is being provided throughout all 14 governorates of Syria on the basis of need. It is not branded in order to ensure the safety of aid recipients and humanitarian aid providers as well as to ensure that aid distribution is not thwarted en route. The United States is committed to using all channels to reach affected Syrians throughout the country and is working through UN, NGO, and community-based partners, as well as with the Syrian Opposition Coalition’s Assistance Coordination Unit. The United States is also working closely with country partners in the region who have generously opened their borders.

Transition Support to the Unarmed Opposition

The United States is also providing over $50 million in nonlethal support to the unarmed Syrian opposition, including emergent local and national democratic institutions, and nonsectarian civic groups. This assistance includes training and equipment to build the capacity of a nationwide network of ethnically and religiously diverse civilian activists to link Syrian citizens with nascent governance structures. This support enhances the information security of Syrian activists, human rights organizations, and media outlets, empowers women leaders to play a more active role in transition planning and peace negotiations, and supports the psycho-social rehabilitation of Syrian refugees who are victims of torture and war. Activities sponsored by these funds enable local councils and grassroots organizations to respond to the needs of their communities and promotes constructive participation in the country’s political transition.

Over 4,000 major pieces of equipment have been provided, mostly to Damascus, Aleppo, and other areas with significant opposition presence, including communications and computer equipment, as well as generators and medical supplies, to support unarmed Syrian opposition groups strengthen civil society, media, and democratic transition planning.

Support to civil society groups and local councils includes efforts to train, equip, and build the capacity of nearly 1,500 grassroots activists, including women and youth, from over 100 opposition councils and organizations in 10 different regions of Syria; develop groups’ abilities to mobilize citizens, share information, provide community services, and undertake civic functions; support interreligious and communal dialogues and encouraging citizen participation in shaping the Syrian transition; and supporting human rights documentation and transitional justice workshops while laying the foundation for future accountability efforts.

Support to independent media projects includes assistance to community radio stations providing information for refugees about available services; training for networks of citizen journalists, bloggers, and cyberactivists to support their documentation, packaging, and dissemination of information on developments in Syria; and technical assistance and equipment to enhance the information and communications security of Syrian activists within Syria.

Assistance in support of democratic transition planning includes efforts to link unarmed opposition elements inside Syria with global supporters; support for the independent Syria Justice and Accountability Center to document human rights abuses and coordinate transitional justice and accountability efforts; technical assistance to emerging political parties; and facilitating nonsectarian Syrian activists’ participation in political and economic transition planning to promote the business community’s engagement in transition processes.

U.S. AID TO THE SYRIAN PEOPLE

Map:  Syria.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

U.S. Government Assistance to Syria
Fact Sheet
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
January 9, 2013


The United States supports the Syrian people’s aspirations for a Syrian-led transition to a democratic, inclusive, and peaceful Syria. Over nearly two years of unrest and violence, the United Nations estimates that 60,000 Syrians have been killed. Nearly 600,000 Syrians have registered or are awaiting registration in neighboring countries, while an additional 2.5 million persons are internally displaced and 4 million people inside Syria are in need of assistance. The Syrian regime has sacrificed all legitimacy in a vicious effort to cling to power. U.S. assistance includes vigorous diplomatic support of the newly formed Syrian Opposition Coalition, humanitarian assistance to help those affected by the conflict, and non-lethal support for local councils and civil society inside Syria.

Diplomatic Support

The United States continues to support the Syrian people as the newly-formed Syrian Opposition Coalition sets a course toward the peaceful, democratic, inclusive future that the people of Syria deserve. We are working with other nations to further isolate the regime and support the Syrian people’s calls for President Assad to step down. We and our international partners actively supported the efforts of the Syrian people to launch the Syrian Opposition Coalition in Doha in November. On December 12, the Friends of the Syrian People meeting in Marrakesh helped to ensure that our assistance responds to the most pressing needs of the Syrian people in coordination with the Syrian Opposition Coalition and Syria-based unarmed opposition groups.

Humanitarian Assistance

The Assad regime’s war on its own civilian population over the past two years has precipitated a critical humanitarian crisis. The United States is providing $210 million in humanitarian aid to assist conflict-affected Syrians inside Syria and those who have fled to neighboring countries, the majority of whom are residing among local communities. Assistance is channeled both through contributions to U.N. and other international agencies as well as partner non-governmental organizations. We continue to develop ways for humanitarian assistance – provided on the basis of need and not political affiliation – to reach previously inaccessible areas inside Syria where continuing violence has created urgent humanitarian needs, especially growing shortages of food and fuel.
The United States is providing relief supplies, such as plastic sheeting to repair damaged buildings, warm clothes, mattresses, blankets and heaters to help conflict-affected families in Syria survive the winter. An estimated 130,000 people have already received relief supplies, a number that will grow to nearly 515,000 people in some of the hardest-hit locations. U.S. contributions to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) are providing 75,000 winter clothing kits and 320,000 blankets to children in Syria.
U.S.-funded medical assistance is saving lives in some of Syria’s hardest-hit locations – treating more than 410,000 patients in Syria, including 22,370 surgeries. U.S. funding of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) supported the delivery of essential medical supplies to treat tens of thousands of sick or wounded Syrians in 2012.
U.S. funding for ICRC, the U.N. World Food Program (WFP), and the U.N. Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has supported food distributions for more than 3 million people and essential household items for more than 500,000 people, as well as assisted local Syrian water authorities to ensure access to safe water for 10 million people, Funding for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has opened schools and other buildings to some 10,000 displaced Syrians as well as assistance to Palestinian refugees in Syria affected by the crisis.
U.S. funds are providing urgently needed food, clean water, medical supplies and emergency medical care for thousands of Syrians living in neighboring countries through UNHCR, WFP and UNICEF and through non-government organizations.

Transition Support to the Unarmed Opposition

The United States is also providing approximately $50 million in non-lethal support to the unarmed Syrian opposition and civil society groups, including local councils and grassroots organizations. This assistance provides training and equipment to the Syrian non-violent opposition to build up a nation-wide network of ethnically and religiously diverse civilian activists, which will help promote unity among the Syrian people and accelerate the country’s democratic transition. Our assistance seeks to build the capacity of local councils and grassroots organizations and supports their efforts to respond to the needs of their communities and mobilize ongoing non-violent protest movements. These resources aim to help Syrian non-violent opposition groups sustain their activities through strengthening civil society, media and democratic transition planning.

Support to civil society groups and local councils includes efforts to train, equip and build the capacity of grassroots activists and opposition groups – including women and youth – primarily inside the country; develop existing and emerging groups’ abilities to mobilize citizens, share information and build networks, provide services to their communities, and undertake civic functions; support interreligious and communal dialogues to encourage strong citizen participation in shaping the transition’s trajectory; develop women’s leadership capacity to play a robust role in the transition; support professional human rights documentation and transitional justice workshops, and prepare for Syria’s political transition and lay the foundation for future accountability efforts.

Support to independent media projects includes community radio stations providing information for refugees about available services, training for networks of citizen journalists, bloggers, and cyber-activists to support their ability to document, package, and disseminate information on developments inside Syria and provide independent news reporting; and technical assistance and equipment to enhance the information and communications security of Syrian activists within Syria.

Assistance in support of democratic transition planning includes efforts to facilitate linkages between unarmed opposition elements inside Syria with supporters outside the country; resources to help establish the Syria Justice and Accountability Center as an independent entity that documents human rights abuses and coordinates transitional justice and accountability efforts among Syrian and international groups; and facilitating Syrian activists’ participation in political and economic transition planning, to facilitate the active engagement of the business community in transition processes, and technical assistance to emerging political parties within the country.