Key Points

The funding, provided through the Saudi Fund for Development and the Qatar Fund for Development, will support public sector employees in Syria for three months, aiming to ensure the continued delivery of essential services and strengthen government budget allocations, reports Xinhua, quoting the Saudi Press Agency.

The assistance, implemented in coordination with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), is designed to enhance sustainable livelihoods and promote inclusive economic recovery. Officials said it would also bolster systems, improve financial sector inclusiveness, and contribute to long-term development goals in Syria.

Earlier this month, the Saudi Fund for Development provided a grant to supply Syria with 1.65 million barrels of crude oil. In August, Saudi Arabia signed an agreement and six memorandums of understanding with Syrian authorities covering various energy sectors on the sidelines of the Damascus International Fair.

Last week, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Syria warned that millions of Syrians could face life-threatening conditions unless international donors step up funding for critical aid programs.

Joseph Inganji, head of the OCHA Syrian office, told Xinhua in Damascus that "if we don't receive the funding, it means children and women will die, because we don't have anything to support them."

According to Inganji, 16.7 million people across Syria currently require humanitarian assistance, including 8.2 million in urgent need. He said the UN is seeking 3.2 billion US dollars to respond, but has received only 15 per cent of that amount so far.

Inganji highlighted particular concern for southern Syria, where renewed tensions in Sweida province in July have triggered a new wave of displacement, spilling into neighbouring Daraa and the Damascus countryside. The combined effects of violence and displacement in Daraa, Sweida, and rural Damascus have uprooted around 430,000 people. "The situation calls for urgent attention. They are receiving assistance from the humanitarian community," he said.

While stressing the need for immediate relief, Inganji emphasised that Syria's long-term stability depends on solutions that reduce dependence on aid. "As much as we give assistance every day, every hour, it's not a solution. We need a long-term solution," he said.

Since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, about 850,000 Syrian refugees have returned from neighbouring countries, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

A significant funding shortfall is hampering efforts to support returns, and many returnees face poor conditions, including destroyed or heavily damaged housing, limited access to basic services, and few livelihood opportunities.

- IANS