US announces $720 million in aid to Syria

WASHINGTON

The US announced Thursday that it will provide more than $720 million in additional humanitarian assistance for Syria.

That includes more than $419 million from the US Agency for International Development’s Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance and more than $301 million from the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration.

"The international community must remain committed to meeting the increasing needs of the Syrian people," said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a statement.

The top diplomat also called for holding the Bashar al-Assad regime "accountable for its devastating military campaign and brutal disregard for human rights, including the arbitrary detention of over 100,000 Syrian civilians, the vast majority of whose whereabouts are currently unknown."

With Thursday's amount, Washington has provided more than $12 billion since the start of the Syrian crisis.

Syria has been ravaged by a civil war since early 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protesters.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million displaced, according to UN estimates.