More than $2.4 billion has been pledged by Western and Gulf Arab nations for U.N. aid efforts in Syria.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke after an international gathering to find fresh aid for the war-torn country.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL, BAN KI-MOON, SAYING:
"The humanitarian pledging conference has just concluded by raising more than 2.4 billion U.S. dollars for the Syria humanitarian assistance response plan and the refugee response plan over the next six months."
The pledge arose from a U.N. appeal for $6.5 billion in 2014, which was launched last month.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL, BAN KI-MOON, SAYING:
"More than 2.4 billion dollars -- we do not have the exact figure at this time -- is an increase of one billion, almost one billion dollars compared with last year. This reflects that the crisis and needs of the situation has increased."
A near three-year civil war has left millions of people hun