Donor fatigue persists as nations commit around $8.1 billion for conflict-hit Syrians

By KAREEM CHEHAYEB
Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — International donors meeting in Brussels say they will commit 7.5 billion euros, about $8.1 billion, in both grants and loans to support Syrians battered by war, poverty, and hunger for the rest of this year and beyond. The pledges surpassed the modest $4.07 billion that the United Nations had appealed for, but was also a significant drop from the amounts pledged last year and previously — an indication of persisting donor fatigue as the world’s attention is focused on conflicts elsewhere, including the wars in Ukraine and Sudan, and most recently Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza.