Relief items worth $1.3 million are being shipped to Damascus, Syria, from Dubai. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Dubai dispatched the goods for displaced refugees in Syria in a large shipment of 31 containers.
The shipment consists of 35,750 kitchen sets, 62,500 jerry cans, 81,750 sleeping mats and 7,000 plastic sheets, valued at $1,361,775.
The UN agency began dispatch of the containers on Tuesday from International Humanitarian City (IHC), Dubai, and is expected to reach Damascus in two weeks. “This is the fourth anniversary of the civil war and it is only civilians who are paying the price for the crisis situation in Syria,” said Mohammed Abu Asaker, Public Information and Communications Officer of UNHCR UAE.
The Syria Emergency which has displaced some 3.8 million Syrians so far to neighbouring countries, received almost half of all shipments (47 per cent) from IHC.
Asaker said: “This is an emergency shipment and since safety is a major issue in Syria, we can dispatch relief items to those in need only at the time of a ceasefire. This particular shipment is for IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) in the 14 governorates across Syria.”
“The request for this dispatch came through on Sunday and procurement for emergency supplies began immediately. This is one of the biggest shipments we’ve sent inside Syria. There is also the problem of shortage of funds that is causing a negative impact in the smooth and efficient flow of relief supplies.”
Last year UNHCR suffered a 40 per cent deficit in funding causing major setbacks in the sending out relief supplies.
Pre-fabricated homes
UNHCR is now working closely with the Ikea foundation to send out pre-fabricated homes to refugees. Asaker said: “The project has been under testing for the last two years and was projected at Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development Conference and Exhibition. The testing was successful and we are planning on sending it to countries in need shortly. An announcement will be made at the end of March for the same. We’ve tested them in different weather conditions and I’m glad to announce that it will soon be made available to refugees in the region.”
He added that the pre-fabricated homes are sustainable, long lasting, and provide the refugees living in them with some dignity.
