US to give almost $700m in humanitarian aid to Syria

The US State Department on Thursday announced about $697m in additional humanitarian assistance for the people of Syria, bringing total US assistance since 2012 to more than $7bn.

"The new funding also helps mitigate the impact of the crisis on governments and communities throughout the region," the State Department said in a statement.

Almost $516m will go to assistance inside Syria, according to the statement. Around the region, Jordan will receive about $88m, Turkey $35m, Lebanon $29m, Iraq $15m, Egypt $13m and regional organisations $2m.

The statement did not specify how the money will be used.

The Syrian Civil War has raged for six years, claiming the lives of about 400,000 Syrians, according to the United Nations.

The UN said five million people have fled the country, prompting a global refugee crisis, while 6.3 million people are displaced inside of the country, according to The Hill website.

Canada helps out

Meanwhile, the Canadian government on Thursday said it is helping Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon meet the needs of Syrian refugees who have fled to neighbouring countries as part of its Middle East engagement strategy.

A statement issued by the ministers of immigration and international development said: "We are all capable of showing empathy toward those seeking refuge. The overwhelming generosity with which Canadians have recently welcomed more than 40,000 Syrian refugees is an example of how, in the face of rising xenophobia and hardening borders, Canada always chooses peace, compassion, protection of human rights and inclusion.

"We must uphold human dignity at a time when internal conflicts are proliferating and humanitarian principles, international laws and human rights are increasingly violated," added the statement.