Doha hosted on Sunday the consultative meeting of humanitarian non-governmental organizations to support humanitarian assistance for Syria, which brought together a number of humanitarian organizations and institutions from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon along with representatives of the United Nations.
The meeting which was held ahead of the upcoming "Brussels Conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region" due on 4-5 April shed light on the reality of the humanitarian crisis in Syria, the ongoing efforts of GCC humanitarian organizations and institutions, urgent needs as well as enhanced coordination between the actors.
It also provides participants with the opportunity to announce their pledges and future plans to fulfil commitment and identify additional support. HE Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Muraikhi, United Nations Secretary-General's Humanitarian Envoy, said the meeting was aimed at developing visions and proposals on the challenges facing humanitarian institutions, which will be then presented to the Brussels Conference. 
In his opening speech, Dr. Al Muraikhi said the Brussels Conference is seen as an important step towards achieving solutions for the outstanding political and humanitarian issues. The conference also seeks to give a voice to the GCC Gulf humanitarian organizations, he said, adding that the event will as well highlight the efforts being exerted by humanitarian organizations and institutions in GCC countries in order to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people affected by the ongoing crisis. 
In this context, the UN official stressed that he will convey a positive image of the continued humanitarian assistance provided by the GCC institutions and organizations to the Brussels Conference.The worsening humanitarian crisis in Syria would require USD 8 billion for the current year, of which $ 3.3 billion would be for the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) and $ 4.7 billion for the 3RP Regional Refugee & Resilience Plan, he said.  13.5 million people in Syria need humanitarian assistance while 8.4 million people were forced to flee to neighboring countries, Dr. Al Muraikhi concluded.
For his part, Chairman of the Board of Qatar Red Crescent (QRCS), Dr. Mohamed bin Ghanem Al Ali Al Maadheed, reviewed the reality of Syrian crisis and the nature of challenges faced by Syrian displaced and refugees. In this context, he urged humanitarian organizations to focus their attention on building social peace and strengthening local communities in Syria to meet current and future humanitarian challenges.

Source: QNA