The United States has announced nearly $600 million to support the humanitarian response in Syria, where a decade of civil war has left an estimated nine in 10 people living in poverty and created what remains the world's largest refugee crisis.

“We offer support to alleviate the suffering of the world’s most vulnerable people because it aligns with our values as a nation and with our national interests,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on Tuesday. “We urge other donors to support the Syrian people by increasing their contributions to these efforts.” 

At $596 million, the US contribution is down slightly from last year’s pledge of nearly $700 million. Officials stress that the United States remains the single largest donor to the Syrian response, providing nearly $13 billion since the start of the conflict in 2011. 

Why it matters:  The US announcement came as donor countries met virtually at a UN-hosted conference in Brussels aiming to raise more than $10 billion to support Syrians inside the war-torn country, as well as those who found refuge in neighboring countries like Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon.