IOM: Over 90% of Syrian Population Live Below Poverty Line

IOM

Displaced Syrians.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says that even before the latest developments, over 16 million Syrians needed humanitarian assistance, more than six million have left the country, and 7.2 million remained displaced within its borders and that more than 90 per cent of the population is living below the poverty line.

The IOM Director General Amy Pope delivered a statement at the United Nations Media Briefing in Geneva, where she spoke about her trip to Damascus and her meetings with the caretaker government, humanitarian, civil society, diplomatic and donor communities. 

"I saw a country at a junction—its people resolute, determined to move on from the past, determined to rebuild their lives, though wary of the immense uncertainty of what lies ahead," she said. 

"The numbers tell a staggering story. Even before the latest developments, over 16 million Syrians needed humanitarian assistance, more than six million have left the country, and 7.2 million remained displaced within its borders," she added. 

"The number one priority is humanitarian assistance. The numbers are stark. More than 90 per cent of the population is living below the poverty line. We have seen 800,000 newly displaced people in recent weeks," she said.

"The returns that it is estimated will happen are on a much larger scale than we have seen, and integrating those who return in parallel with transitional justice is going to be a truly monumental task," she stated.

She pointed out that in some areas of the country, essential infrastructure, from hospitals to schools, has been destroyed or is dysfunctional. Aleppo, for instance, was all but destroyed during the conflict between 2012 and 2016, with over two million people leaving the city. 

She highlighted the need to address needs more widely however, and now is the time for the international community to pull together, emphasising the need to establish an inclusive society embracing religious minorities, women and diverse political groups must be at the front of our thinking when it comes to this support.  



PUKMEDIA