More aid needed for Syria

For broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 27 Apr 2014.

The ongoing civil war in Syria is a shocking story of tragedy upon tragedy and immense human suffering, especially for innocent children caught up in the conflict.

The Australian government has announced it will contribute $20 million to provide schooling for almost one million Syrian refugee children. The decision by Foreign Minister Julie Bishop to contribute aid funding towards the joint Australia, United States, United Kingdom and United Nations initiative is a welcome move.

But Australian Christian Lobby managing director Lyle Shelton said the enormity of the humanitarian crisis in Syria required a lift in Australia’s humanitarian intake from 13,700.

He said so far, around 2.7 million people had been displaced as a result of the continuing crisis in Syria and 140,000 had died in what is one of the world’s biggest humanitarian crises since World War II, and Australia had “a moral responsibility to provide greater aid to those suffering around the world.”

I’m Rod Benson for the NSW Council of Churches.