U.S. to provide $108 million in humanitarian aid as the threat of Turkey-Syria war looms

The State Department announced a fresh $108 million in U.S. humanitarian aid for Syrians displaced by war Tuesday, amid fears of a spiraling new clash between U.S.-backed Turkish forces and Syria’s Russia- and Iran-backed military.

The aid announcement brings the total American humanitarian response to Syria’s nearly decade-old civil war to more than $10.6 billion and comes as President Trump seeks to avoid a return to direct U.S. military involvement in the conflict.

The $108 million will be channeled through USAID and the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration to help “the people of Syria in response to the ongoing crisis caused by [the] Assad regime, Russian, and Iranian forces,” said State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus.

“This assistance is a component of our National Security Strategy to prioritize the reduction of human suffering,” she said in a statement, adding that the money will provide “life-saving food, shelter, winter clothing and other supplies, medical care, and safe drinking water to assist millions of Syrians.”

It remains to be seen how successful aid organizations will be in getting assistance to those in need.

U.S. officials say roughly a million Syrians — more than 80 percent being women and children — have been forced to flee their homes in the nation’s northwest since December, when forces loyal to Syrian dictator Bashar Assad began an offensive to reclaim the area from pro-democracy rebels and Turkish forces.

The area borders Turkey and the offensive has recently featured bombing runs by Syrian and Russia fighter jets against Turkish forces, who are on the ground inside Syria attempting to prevent a massive flow of refugees into Turkey, which is supported by Washington as a NATO ally.

Fears of an all-out war spread over the weekend, with Turkey announcing that it was launching a major counter-offensive against the Syrian military after 36 Turkish soldiers were killed and more than 30 wounded last week by a Syrian-Russian bombing raid.

There were reports Tuesday that Turkish forces had shot down a Syrian military warplane.

The situation represents a delicate foreign policy challenge for the Trump administration, which withdrew U.S. forces from northern Syria last fall on grounds the Islamic State terrorist group was defeated there.

Tensions have soared between Turkey and Syria during the months since.

A senior State Department official told reporters on background last week that the Trump administration supports efforts by Turkey to “de-escalate the situation” and prevent a “humanitarian catastrophe.” While the official also condemned the recent Russian and Syrian attack on Turkish forces, they made it clear the administration is not planning a U.S. military response.

“We’re working on ways to support the Turks,” the official said. “This will not involve military moves by American units.”