Tuesday 3 September 2013

Seven million displaced in Syrian conflict.


Seven million displaced in Syrian conflict.

a group of Free Syrian Army fighters carry
a woundedcomrade to cover in the town
 of Harem, Syria - File Photo/AP
DAMASCUS | AP | 03 Sep 2013 ::  The United Nations (UN) estimates that five million Syrians have been displaced inside the country due to the ongoing civil war. Another two million have fled to neighboring countries, bringing the total up to seven million, which is nearly one-third of Syria’s population.
Before the outbreak of the conflict, Syria had a population of about 23 million people.
Tarik Kurdi, the representative of the refugee agency in Syria, said that the funding gaps for those displaced remain wide. Donor countries spend less than one-third the amount required to help.
More than 100,000 lives have been lost in Syria’s two-and-a-half-year-old conflict, including the hundreds who were recently killed by an alleged chemical weapons attack on August 21.
While the Syrian government has denied involvement, no proof has so far been submitted to back up the allegations.
In Washington, President Barack Obama was lobbying Congress to support a military strike to punish the Assad regime for its alleged chemical weapons use.
While Obama initially seemed poised to launch military action, the president recently decided to seek congressional approval before deciding on a course of action.
A vote is expected after Congress returns from summer recess on September 7.
On Capitol Hill, senior administration officials briefed lawmakers in private on Sunday to explain why the U.S. was compelled to act against Assad. Further meetings were planned from Monday to Wednesday.
The Arab League, meanwhile, stopped short of endorsing military action.
In an emergency meeting in Cairo on Sunday, it called on the United Nations and the international community to take ''deterrent'' measures under international law to stop the Syrian regime's crimes.(Courtesy:Dawn)Read More>>>

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