U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has called on the emir of Kuwait to host a second donors’ conference to raise aid for Syrian refugees, the official KUNA agency said on Wednesday.
Kuwait hosted the first donors’ conference in January, when participating nations pledged $1.5 billion (1.1 billion euros) for Syrian refugees.
Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, who is on a private visit to the United States, received a phone call late Tuesday from Ban who “expressed hopes… for Kuwait to host the second donors’ conference to support the humanitarian situation in Syria,” KUNA said.
The United Nations launched a record $5.2-billion aid appeal in June to fund operations in Syria and neighboring countries, warning the number of Syrians needing help because of the conflict could rise to over 10 million by the end of 2013.
