GENEVA — The United Nations said Monday that it will need nearly $13 billion in aid in 2014 to reach at least 52 million people in 17 countries, including the millions of Syrians who have been displaced by their civil war.
"This is the largest amount we've ever had to request at the start of the year," said Valerie Amos, the U.N.'s humanitarian chief. "The complexity and scale of what we are doing is rising all the time."
The aid is to be provided by 500 organizations, including the main U.N. agencies for food, refugees and children.
About half of the requested $12.9 billion in aid — some $6.5 billion — would go toward delivering food, shelter and health care in Syria and neighboring countries affected by the war.
Read tomorrow's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.