Kerry: U.S. adds nearly $1 bln to Syrian aid

Baku. 4 February. REPORT.AZ/ The US Secretary of State John F. Kerry on Thursday said in London conference that, the United States would send more than $900 million in humanitarian and development aid to Syria and its neighbors burdened with a refu­gee crush that could take years to ease.

In a sum that is likely to swell as the year goes on, Kerry said $600 million will go to the United Nations and other agencies for emergency food, shelter and health in Syria and neighboring countries, where millions of refugees have fled. Much of the rest will go to provide schooling for refugee children in Jordan and Lebanon.

About a quarter of all U.S. humanitarian aid last year was tied to the Syrian war, which grew out of anti-government protests in 2011. According to State Department calculations, the latest donation brings U.S. total funding to $5.1 billion, the largest of any country by far.