UN relief to Syria has been increasingly underfunded amid escalating humanitarian demands, the outgoing UN relief chief said on Friday, calling for international support.

“Over the past three years, we have seen a steady reduction in funding for the Humanitarian Response Plan from 55 per cent funded in 2021 to only 39 per cent 2023,’’ the biggest gap since the crisis began, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths said in a farewell address.

In Syria, 16.7 million people require humanitarian assistance, more than at any time during the conflict, he said at the Security Council briefing on the humanitarian situation in Syria.

“Children continue to be killed, women and girls continue to fear for their safety,” and more than seven million people remain displaced, he said.

He added that violence has also disrupted daily humanitarian efforts, posing persistent risks to civilians and aid workers.

Despite the challenges, Mr Griffiths welcomed the Syrian government’s recent extended use of key border crossings, which is crucial for delivering aid to millions in the northwest, but voiced concerns over the upcoming deadlines.

He stressed that though humanitarian efforts are crucial, they are not a solution to the crisis.

The only sustainable solution is “via an inclusive and Syrian-led political process that meets the legitimate aspirations of the people of Syria.

This, he said, encourages the meaningful participation of all spheres of society, in particular, Syrian women.

“We cannot wait for the next cataclysm to make genuine progress towards ending this catastrophe,’’ he said, warning that the deepening economic crisis and the conflict in Gaza threaten to spill across the region.

(Xinhua/NAN)