Iceland Votes To Increase Aid To Syria

Just in time for the holidays, the Icelandic parliament voted to increase aid to Syria, as people caught in the midst of a bloody civil war struggle to survive.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that parliament voted in favour yesterday of increasing aid to Syria by 50 million ISK. This is in addition to the 23 million ISK that Minister of Foreign Affairs Lilja Alfreðsdóttir earmarked for the country.

Further, the Minister also decided to send another 52 million ISK in humanitarian aid to Syria at the beginning of next year.

This aid will be distributed to a number of NGOs in the area, including UNHCR, UNICEF, and OCHA. The aim will be to provide humanitarian and psychological aid to those fleeing conflict zones in Syria. In particular, there is still a considerable amount of damage to attend to after the battle for Aleppo, wherein thousands of Syrians have lost their lives, and many more have been rendered homeless.

Icelanders have been diligent in supporting Syrians caught in the crossfire. Earlier this year, UNICEF in Iceland kicked off a campaign and benefit concert to raise support for their fellow humans abroad.