Leaders from 70 nations on Thursday at their gathering in London pledged $9 billion financial support to help the humanitarian need of Syrians.
President Muhammadu Buhari is one of the leaders at the meeting.
British Prime Minister, David Cameron, stressed the need for a new approach towards helping millions of people caught up in the Syrian conflict.
He said Britain and the four other co-hosts of the international donor’s conference, which includes; Germany, Norway, Kuwait and the UN, would pledge about $9 billion to help 13.5 million people in Syria and 4.4 million refugees in neighbouring states.
Cameron pledged an extra $1.76 billion from Britain, saying more money is needed to tackle this crisis and it is needed now.
He noted that with hundreds of thousands of people risking their lives crossing the Aegean or the Balkans, a new approach is urgently needed for the critical humanitarian situation in Syria.
“But the conference I am hosting today is about more than just money.
“Our new approach of using fundraising to build stability, create jobs and provide education can have a transformational effect in the region, and create a future model for humanitarian relief.
“And we can provide the sense of hope needed to stop people thinking they have no option but to risk their lives on a dangerous journey to Europe,’’ he said.
Cameron said it was so unfortunate that the aid agencies and human rights groups have different priorities from some of the hosts of the London meeting.
He, however warned that money alone would not address the range of problems facing millions of Syrians.
German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, at the conference made a pledge of $2.56 billion in aid over the next three years.
She said this would include $1.1 billion in 2016, for supporting Syria and the region.
Also, co-host, Norway, made a pledged of $288 million for 2016.
Borge Brende, Norwegian Foreign Minister, noted that his country has never given so much money to a humanitarian crisis of this kind before.
He said such huge pledge was not out of place because the humanitarian needs are immense.
Brende stressed that the host countries in which refugees make up as much as a quarter of the populations need vastly more donor assistance.
Bill Frelick, Refugee Programme Director at Human Rights Watch, said the conference need to set a new agenda on Syrian refugees.
