As the bloody conflict in Syria continues unabated, international donors are struggling to find money to assist a number of countries in the Middle East, like Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon, which are hosting millions of Syrian refugees who have fled their war-torn country since the start of the conflict in 2011.

Existing infrastructure and utilities in these host countries are incapable of coping with the influx of millions of Syrian refugees and new resources are urgently needed to put in place the basic minimum facilities. While aid has already been pledged by the international community to assist in the temporary settlement of the displaced people, the transfer and disbursement of this assistance to the host countries has been below the latter’s expectations. Will the latest financing by the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) prove any different? (CONTINUED - 788 WORDS)