Britain pledges $1.74 bn in aid for war-torn Syria, neighbors February 4, 2016 - 11:15 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The British government announced $1.74 billion in aid for war-torn Syria and its neighbors on Thursday, February 4, ahead of a donors' conference in London, AFP reports. "More money is needed to tackle this crisis and it is needed now," Prime Minister David Cameron said in a statement announcing the pledge, which will fund education, jobs and humanitarian relief in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. It comes as world leaders are due to gather in London to try to raise $9 billion for the millions of Syrians affected by five years of civil war and to address an acute refugee crisis. The conflict has forced 4.6 million Syrians to seek refuge in nearby countries -- Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt -- while hundreds of thousands have journeyed to Europe in the region's biggest migration crisis since World War II. "With hundreds of thousands of people risking their lives crossing the Aegean or the Balkans, now is the time to take a new approach to the humanitarian disaster in Syria," Cameron said. Donors will have to dig deeper than the last conference in 2015, when UN agencies asked for $8.4 billion to help Syria and its neighbours, but raised just $3.3 billion. The organizers have already agreed that participants should at least "double" their contributions from last year.  Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads.   Partner news |  Latest news Armenian cemetery in Fresno hit by arsons six times since January  Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance.Iran vows to “decisively” defend sovereignty, national interests The Iranian embassy in Armenia has defended its “defensive and proportional action in in occupied Palestine.”Armenian shooter Elmira Karapetyan Armenian shooter Elmira Karapetyan won gold at the ISSF World Olympic Qualification Tournament in Rio de Janiero.Britain said to have entered talks to deport migrants to Armenia Britain is said to have entered talks to replicate the Rwanda migrant deportation scheme with Armenia. |
