CRI听力:UN Seeks Over 8 Billion US Dollars to Assist Syrian Refugees

The United Nations has launched a new appeal, asking for 8 billion US dollars for next year to help nearly 18 million people affected by the war in Syria.

Nearly 3 billion of that funding is aimed at addressing needs inside Syria, giving aid and shelter to 12 million people.

Valerie Amos is the UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs.

"We cannot just feed, clothe and give people shelter. We need to recognize that they need to sustain their livelihoods. We need to recognize the impact that the refugee flows to neighboring countries have had on the economies and on the basic services of those countries."

Marwa Awad, a spokesperson for the UN World Food Program, said the funding still remains a challenge.

"We are trying to raise more funds to continue to provide for these Syrian refugees. Basically, if the conflict continues, as long as it does, there is going to be ongoing movement of Syrian refugees across the region and therefore they will continue to depend on WFP food assistance and we will in turn continue to depend on the international community provide for that."

The U.N. wants 5.5 billion US dollars to help refugees outside Syria, to help other nations hosting displaced Syrian citizens.

The aim is to help nearly 6 million people in total and it's working on projections that there will be up to 4.3 million refugees in countries neighboring Syria in a year's time.