Australia to deliver additional fund to aid Syria

Australia will contribute an additional 10 million AU dollars (8.92 million U.S. dollars) in humanitarian aid to help people affected by the conflict in Syria and 2 million AU dollars (1.78 million U.S. dollars) to support efforts to destroy Syria's chemical weapons, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop confirmed on Thursday.

The foreign minister said this brought Australia's total assistance in response to the Syrian crisis to 112.8 million AU dollars (99.93 million U.S. dollars) since the conflict began in 2011.

More than 100,000 people have died and 9.3 million people, almost half the population, are in need of humanitarian assistance, according to reports. Neighbouring countries now shelter more than 2 million refugees, nearly three-quarters of whom are women and children.

According to the arrangements, the 10 million AU dollars (8.92 million U.S. dollars) humanitarian contribution will go to the United Nations agencies to provide winter essentials, shelter, health care and schooling to refugees in neighbouring countries, provide polio vaccinations and support humanitarian access inside Syria, and assist with refugees in Jordan and Lebanon.

And the Australian government will also contribute 2 million AU dollars (1.78 million U.S. dollars) to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to support their work with the United Nations in overseeing the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons.

"Australia's contribution to this important international mission reflects our longstanding commitment to the global ban on chemical weapons," Bishop said.

"Australia was among the first countries to ratify the Chemical Weapons Convention which established the global ban and we have consistently called on Syria, and all countries, to adhere to and implement it," she added.