Humanitarian Groups Get Low U.S. Response to Syria Appeals

American wariness of involvement in Syria’s civil war appears to extend to giving, with international aid organizations falling far short of their fundraising targets to help victims of the increasingly brutal conflict, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Oxfam, which in January set a $53-million goal for Syria relief, has collected about $150,000 from U.S. donors. Mercy Corps has raised $900,000 for Syrian refugees during the 27 months of fighting, compared to $2.5-million in a few weeks during the brief 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah militia in Lebanon. Other aid groups report similar results. By contrast, Americans have donated millions of dollars in the immediate wake of other recent humanitarian catastrophes.

The relative lack of giving parallels larger national views on the Syrian conflict, with one recent poll showing that a large majority of Americans oppose military intervention and a quarter are against any U.S. action in Syria.