Joseph Inganji, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Syria, speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Damascus, Syria, Sept. 15, 2025. The OCHA in Syria has warned that millions of Syrians could face life-threatening conditions unless international donors step up funding for critical aid programs.(Photo by Monsef Memari/Xinhua)
DAMASCUS, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Syria has 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 U.S. dollars to respond, but has received only 15 percent 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 neighboring 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 emphasized 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 neighboring 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.
Joseph Inganji, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Syria, speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Damascus, Syria, Sept. 15, 2025. The OCHA in Syria has warned that millions of Syrians could face life-threatening conditions unless international donors step up funding for critical aid programs.(Photo by Monsef Memari/Xinhua)
原文地址：http://en.people.cn/n3/2025/0917/c90000-20367056.html