The World Bank: Over a quarter of Syrians live in extreme poverty
The World Bank issued two reports on Syria, in which they said that more than a quarter of Syrians, about 5.7 million people, live in extreme poverty after a 13-year conflict, which has led to successive economic crises and left millions incapable to secure their basic needs.
The poverty existed before the revolution but prolonging it has affected one in four Syrians in 2022, according to the reports.
The reports pointed out that the devastating consequences of the February earthquake in 2023 exacerbated the poverty which killed nearly 6000 people throughout Syria.
The World Bank explained several foreign factors that contribute to decline the welfare of Syrian families, including the Lebanese financial crisis in 2019, Covid-19 pandemic, and Russia-Ukraine war.
The reports warned that the continued funding shortages to meet the basic needs in Syria have further depleted the families’ capability to secure their basic needs.
The World Bank made it clear that the “Syria’s humanitarian response plan for 2024 requires more than $4 billion but is only six percent funded.”
A large number of Syrians have relied on financial remittances from abroad, which represent a crucial artery for life,” with their total value in 2022 reached about $1.05 billion.
The United Nations previously estimated that two million Syrians live in extreme poverty after a decade of war, while the majority of Syrians live below the poverty line.
