WASHINGTON
The U.S. said Tuesday that it will provide $10 million of additional humanitarian assistance to help Middle East communities hosting more than 3 million Syrian refugees.
Assistant Secretary of State Anne Richard made the announcement in Berlin at an international conference on Syrian refugees and stability in the region.
The assistance will be provided through the U.N. Development Program and will help address the needs for education, health and infrastructure, according to a State Department statement,
"It will improve schools, buy textbooks and supplies, build health clinics, support staff from local communities, and improve and extend water and sewer infrastructure, benefiting both refugees and the communities where they live throughout the region," the statement read.
The department, however, provided no specifics as to when the funds will be distributed.
According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, more than half of Syria’s population has been forced to flee their homes, seeking refuge in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq. Nearly 6.5 million civilians have been displaced within Syria, and nearly 11 million Syrians are in need of aid within the country.
Those fleeing to the neighboring countries put heavy economic and social strains on hosting communities and national governments.
Since the beginning of the conflict in March 2011, the U.S. has pledged nearly $3 billion in humanitarian assistance inside Syria and throughout the region.
Roughly half of the funding has supported organizations working to meet the needs of refugees in neighboring countries.
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