ICRC to expand Syria humanitarian efforts beyond $100 mln programme

6/1/2025 19:56

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) plans to expand its work in Syria significantly beyond an initial $100 million programme, the organisation's president said on Monday, citing pressing needs in the health, water and power sectors.



Syria requires $4.07 billion in aid this year, but only 33.1% has been funded, leaving a $2.73 billion gap, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).



The ICRC's expected expansion follows new access to all regions of the country after the toppling of president Bashar al-Assad last month.



"Our programme originally for this year for Syria was $100 million, but we are likely to expand that significantly," ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric told Reuters on the sidelines of a visit to the country.



She said individual donor countries had already come forward with an increase in funding for Syria.



ICRC was one of the few international organizations still operating in Syria under Assad's rule, working on infrastructure projects including water and electricity systems.