Unicef UK joined a campaign of force by international UN agencies yesterday, imposing on visitors to its website a mandatory moment of thought for Syria before allowing access to its content.
"Today we are making our website visitors pause," read a message on a black screen upon entering the site. "Because for more than two years millions of Syrian children have been suffering daily horror and misery with no pause at all," it continued before launching a video featuring UN leaders' calls to action.
More than 5 million people have been forced to leave their homes in Syria, said Unicef, in a conflict which has left more than 70,000 dead.
Calling for action now, OCHA emergency relief coordinator Valerie Amos, World Food Programme executive director Ertharin Cousin, UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres, Unicef executive director Anthony Lake and World Health Organization director-general Margaret Chan pleaded:
"We, leaders of UN agencies charged with dealing with the human costs of this tragedy, appeal to political
leaders involved to meet their responsibility to the people of Syria and to the future of the region.
"We ask that they use their collective influence to insist on a political solution to this horrendous crisis before hundreds of thousands more people lose their homes and lives and futures—in a region that is already at the tipping point.
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"Our agencies and humanitarian partners have been doing all we can. With the support of many governments and people, we have helped shelter more than a million refugees. We have helped provide access to food and other basic necessities for millions displaced by the conflict, to water and sanitation to over 5.5 million affected people in Syria and in neighbouring countries, and to basic health services for millions of Syrians, including vaccinations to over 1.5 million children against measles and polio.
But it has not nearly been enough. The needs are growing while our capacity to do more is diminishing, due to security and other practical limitations within Syria as well as funding constraints. We are precariously close, perhaps within weeks, to suspending some humanitarian support," they said.
But the organisations are not calling for funding or resources, they say - although these are also needed. They instead called for international leaders to "summon and use their influence" to save the Syrian people.
Last month, after much consideration, the Disasters Emergency Committee launched a dedicated Syrian appeal, months after many of its member organisations had launched their own. £10.3m has so far been raised by the DEC and its members towards the Syria crisis. But just last week the UN advised that $81m (around £53m) was needed to feed the millions of hungry people inside Syria and refugees in neighbouring countries until June.
Late last year the Charity Commission issued guidance to charities working in or fundraising for Syria. This can be found here.
