SYRIA: DAVID MILIBAND CALLS FOR INCREASED AID AHEAD OF WINTER by Benson Agoha

* David Miliband.

Former Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, David Miliband, has called for increased urgent aid to the people of Syria before the arrival of Winter.

Writing for the Washington Post in partnership with Antonio Guterres, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, he said `there is no for false comfort', even with the recent agreement on the destruction of the Syria's Chemical Weapons.

Mr. Miliband, who is currently the president and chief executive of the International Rescue Committee, said the international community must recognise that for the millions of Syrians uprooted from their homes, the challenge to survive grows even more daunting as winter approaches.

The Chief Executive of the IRC said there are pressing questions of life and death which stem from basic concerns over "food, water, shelter and medicine".

He said humanitarian agencies helped more than 300,000 refugees get through the cold last winter and with more than 2.2m syrians in neighbouring countries, aid must increase if there is any hope of cushioning the effect of displacement during for the refugees among which are about 800.000 children.

David Miliband said about 12 Million Syrians are in need of necessary aid as Winter approaches. Some of these families have been travelling for months and been forced to move from one place to another from time to time. He said "the bottomline is funding".

Mr Miliband said "it is possible to make a large-scale difference for millions of Syrians. But with temperatures dropping, we are running out of time raise about $4.4 billion, which according to United Nations estimates will be required to meet the humanitarian needs of Syrians and surrounding neighbours.

David Miliband's call follows the cheering news that Syria has fully destroyed their chemical weapons making equipment ahead of the November 1, 2013 deadline.

He said there is a short window to help Syrians survive the coming season and "we must do everything possible to keep them safe and warm."

* Twitter: @bensonagoha.