US allocates $12 mln in assistance for Syrians

The United States has allocated over $12 million in assistance for Syria via the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations, the U.S. Department of State said in a statement. “The United States is pursuing every avenue to get humanitarian relief into Syria and is engaged in focused diplomatic efforts to secure safe access for humanitarian organizations to reach those in need,” the statement said. Almost half of the allocated sum, which is $5.5 million, will be distributed via the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), $3 million - the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), $3 million - the World Food Program (WFP) and $1 million via non-governmental organizations. According to UN estimates, more than 7,500 people have lost their lives since anti-government protests broke out in Syria last March, instigated by popular uprisings across the Middle East and North Africa. Thursday marked one year since a wave of simultaneous demonstrations against President Bashar al-Assad’s rule took place in major cities across Syria on March 15, 2011.