The European Commission has decided to increase aid to Syria and its neighboring countries by 215 million euros to combat ongoing suffering of millions of Syrians as a result of a four-year-long civil war. The new batch of financial assistance will include 50 million euros for humanitarian aid and 165 million euros to help longer-term development. The aid will cover financial assistance both inside and outside the country with a focus of decreasing pressure on Syrian borders and in neighboring countries. It should also address the needs of thousands of refugees throughout the country and mainly those who fled to Turkey. The recent influx of refugees forced Ankara to close down its border with Syria. It is estimated that almost 6.5 million people have been displaced by the civil war. Likewise, three million refugees have been registered.
Kristalina Georgieva, Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, commented that the conflict in Syria showed no signs of abating and the needs of the Syrian people grew inexorably. “The people of Syria are being terrorised by this inhuman conflict. I warmly commend Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey Jordan and Egypt for their generosity towards Syrian refugees but it is clear that the capacities in neighbouring countries to absorb so many people are stretched to their limits,” she added.
The aim of this funding is therefore to support life-saving and ongoing assistance for the Syrian people in the country but also in heavily indebted neighbors. The assistance will include emergency medical aid including psycho-social care to the injured and the traumatized with a special focus on children. The assistance will also cover provision of food and shelter, potable water, registration, and protection of refugees. Moreover, the EU also seeks to support Syria’s civil society and non-profit organizations as well as provide access to education and medical services for displaced Syrian children and Palestine refugees in Syria.
