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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 11 May 2022
Donors fall well short of U.N. target for Syria aid

By LORNE COOK but the war in Ukraine — a
Associated Press major wheat supplier —
BRUSSELS (AP) — Interna- has made things worse. The
tional donors on Tuesday impact is worsening the
pledged $6.7 billion to help plight of millions of Syrians
Syrians and neighboring driven from their homes by
countries hosting refugees the country’s 11-year war.
but fell well short of a U.N. Many rely on international
target for assistance to mil- aid to survive.
lions of people from con- The war in Ukraine has
flict-torn Syria who rely on also created a whole new
aid to survive. group of refugees. Euro-
European Union Neighbor- pean nations and the U.S.
hood Commissioner Oliver have rushed to help more
Varhelyi acknowledged than 5.5 million Ukrainians
that the war in Ukraine and who have fled to neigh-
the fallout from the coro- boring countries, as well
navirus pandemic weighed as more than 7 million dis-
heavily on donors’ econo- placed within Ukraine’s
mies. borders.
Still, “donors are sending Half of Syria’s pre-war pop-
now a very strong signal to ulation of 23 million people
Syria and this region that was displaced by the con-
we are ready to do even United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen, left, talks with European Union foreign flict.
more than before,” he said. policy chief Josep Borrell prior to a meeting, Supporting the future of Syria and the region, at the Aid agencies had hoped
The United Nations had European Council building in Brussels, Tuesday, May 10, 2022. to draw some of the world’s
been seeking $10.5 billion Associated Press attention back to Syria at
for 2022. It says that 14.6 mil- the U.N asking for $10 billion “The Russian war will in- ros ($1.65 billion) next year. Tuesday’s conference,
lion people in Syria rely on to meet vital needs. crease food and energy The U.S. pledged over $800 which was hosted by the
aid 1.2 million more than Earlier, EU foreign policy prices and the situation in million. EU. The funding also goes
in 2021 and that over 90% chief Josep Borrell warned Syria will become worse,” Borrell vowed that the EU toward aid for the 5.7 mil-
of Syrians live in poverty. that Russia’s invasion of he said. would maintain sanctions lion Syrian refugees living in
About 3.9 million people in Ukraine is making the plight Borrell said the 27-nation against Syrian President neighboring countries, par-
Syria go hungry every day. of poverty-stricken Syrians bloc would provide an ad- Bashar Assad’s government ticularly Turkey, Lebanon
It’s the second year in a far worse. Borrell said that ditional 1 billion euros ($1.1 and stressed that there can and Jordan.
row that pledges have not 60% of Syria’s population billion) for Syria this year, be no normalized relations Non-EU country Norway
lived up to expectations. “suffer food insecurity, and bringing the annual total until Syrian refugees are pledged 1.5 billion kroner
Last year, the EU, the Unit- barely know where the to 1.5 billion euros ($1.6 bil- “safe to go back home.” ($156 million) for 2022 (as-
ed States and other nations next meal is going to come lion). He said the EU would Food prices around the terisk)(asterisk)should this
pledged $6.4 billion, with from.” also provide 1.56 billion eu- world were already rising, be 2022?.q

Fighters appeal for evacuation of wounded from Mariupol mill

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Fight- must see the conditions in vice, which is screwed into
ers of the Azov Regiment, which the wounded, crip- broken limbs to stabilize
the Ukrainian unit holed up pled defenders of Mariupol them, on his right arm.
in the besieged Azovstal are and act.” It was not possible to inde-
steel mill in the devastat- “We demand the immedi- pendently verify where the
ed port city of Mariupol, ate evacuation of wound- photos were shot or the
have released photos of ed servicemen to Ukraini- identities of those depict-
their wounded comrades an-controlled territories, ed.
in arms who they say are where they will be assisted The seaside steel mill is the
in the plant, along with an and provided with proper only part of the strategic
appeal to the United Na- care,” the statement con- port city that has not been
tions and Red Cross to ar- cluded, noting there were taken over by Russian forc-
range for their evacuation. several hundred wounded es. With a warren of tun-
In a statement accompa- fighters in the plant. nels and bunkers extending
nying the photos posted on The series of 10 photos deep beneath the plant,
a Telegram channel titled shows fighters with se- hundreds of civilians had In this photo provided by Azov Special Forces Regiment of the
“Azov Mariupol” Tuesday, vere injuries, including two taken shelter there from Ukrainian National Guard Press Office, an Azov Special Forces
they said the wounded, standing on crutches who the intense bombardment Regiment’s serviceman, injured during fighting against Russian
who they noted were no have had their left legs of their city. Ukrainian and forces, poses for a photographer inside the Azovstal steel plant
in Mariupol, Ukraine, Tuesday, May 10, 2022.
longer combatants, were amputated, one with his Russian officials had said Associated Press
living in unsanitary condi- left arm amputated at the the last remaining women,
tions “with open wounds shoulder and another with children and the elderly day estimated that some many volunteer brigades
bandaged with non-sterile his right arm amputated were evacuated from the remained. in the fight against Rus-
remnants of bandages, above the elbow, with the plant earlier this week, but The Azov Regiment has a sia-backed separatists in
without the necessary med- stump bandaged. Two oth- confusion remained as to controversial past. It de- Ukraine’s east. It drew its
ication and even food.” ers are shown being treat- whether all civilians had rives from a group called initial fighters from far-right
The statement said that ed by medics, and another been evacuated after two the Azov Battalion, which circles and elicited criticism
“the whole civilized world has an external fixation de- Ukrainian officials on Tues- formed in 2014 as one of for its tactics. q