Saudi Arabia and Qatar are teaming up to provide $89 million in financial aid to Syria, according to Saudi state media. The funds come from the Saudi Fund for Development and the Qatar Fund for Development, and they’ll help pay public sector workers for the next three months. This support keeps essential services running and bolsters the government’s budget.
Working with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the initiative focuses on building sustainable livelihoods and driving inclusive economic recovery in Syria. Experts say it will strengthen key systems, make the financial sector more accessible, and push toward long-term development goals.
This isn’t the first time Saudi Arabia has stepped in. Earlier this month, the Saudi Fund for Development sent a grant to deliver 1.65 million barrels of crude oil to Syria. Back in August, Saudi officials signed an agreement and six memorandums of understanding with Syrian leaders on energy projects during the Damascus International Fair.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in Syria is worsening, with the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) urging more international donors to act. Last week, OCHA warned that millions of Syrians could face deadly conditions without extra funding for vital aid programs.
Joseph Inganji, who heads OCHA’s office in Syria, shared stark details in Damascus. “If we don’t get the funding, it means children and women will die because we have nothing to support them,” he told reporters. Right now, 16.7 million people in Syria need humanitarian assistance, including 8.2 million in desperate situations. The UN is asking for $3.2 billion to respond, but they’ve only secured 15% so far.
Inganji pointed to growing worries in southern Syria, where fresh tensions in Sweida province since July have forced a new wave of displacement into nearby Daraa and rural Damascus. Violence and upheaval there have displaced about 430,000 people in total. “The situation demands urgent action—they’re getting help from aid groups,” he noted.
While immediate relief is crucial, Inganji stressed that Syria needs more than short-term fixes for lasting stability. “We hand out aid every day, every hour, but it’s no real solution. We require long-term answers,” he said.
Since former President Bashar al-Assad’s regime collapsed in December 2024, around 850,000 Syrian refugees have returned home from neighboring countries, per the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. But a major funding gap is slowing efforts to help them settle. Many returnees struggle with ruined homes, scarce basic services, and limited job options, making reintegration even tougher.
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