€10 million humanitarian aid increase for those affected by Syria violence

News

€10 million humanitarian aid increase for those affected by Syria violence

20-06-2012

The European Commission is increasing its humanitarian aid by €10 million for those affected by the escalating violence in Syria, Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva announced today, World Refugee Day, during a visit to a refugee camp in Turkey. In statements she called on all the parties to spare human life and respect human rights.

The Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response was speaking in Kilis, where she met Syrians who have been forced to flee their country because of the deteriorating situation. She was accompanied by Turkey's Minister for EU affairs, Egemen Bağış.

The doubling of humanitarian aid brings to €43 million the amount being spent by the European Commission in response to the Syrian crisis. €23 million of it comes from the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI). Humanitarian activities will provide shelter, food, medical and health supplies, clean drinking, improved sanitation as well as basic household supplies. It will reach an estimated 700,000 people affected by the continuing violence both inside Syria and in neighbouring countries. EU Member States have provided €24.6 million in humanitarian aid. More than a third of the estimated 87,000 people fleeing from the violence in Syria have found refuge in Turkey.

"At this desperate time my thoughts are with all those people who are suffering grievously as a result of the indiscriminate violence taking place in Syria. A lingering civil war beckons and I expect the scale of the humanitarian challenges to rise dramatically,” the Commissioner said in a statement. “We will continue to stand with the innocent victims of violence and today I repeat my call to all the parties to the fighting to spare human life, respect human rights and to afford all protection and assistance to those who are trying to provide relief to the most vulnerable."

Reference to the plight of refugees fleeing from Syria is also made in a joint statement issued by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton and EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmström, on the occasion of World Refugee Day. “We are gravely concerned about the plight of refugees fleeing the violence in Syria. The EU, in close co-operation with its partners, is providing significant humanitarian and other assistance to these refugees, and will throw its weight behind all efforts to ensure the protection of the victims of this conflict," they say. (EU Neighbourhood Info)

Read more

Commissioner Georgieva’s press release

Q/A: The European Commission's work to help refugees MEMO/12/456

Ashton - Malmström joint statement

The European Commission's humanitarian aid and civil protection

Factsheet - The European Union and Syria (01-03-12)

EU Neighbourhood Info Centre webpage – Syria

NEWS

CIUDAD, raising awareness of water management in schools
As part of the activities of the EU-funded WADI project, visits were recently...

Lebanon: 3.9 million TV households and 94 cinema screens – a special report from Euromed Audiovisual
The EU-funded Euromed Audiovisual III programme and the European Audiovisual...

Tunisia: Sfax architectural heritage under the flashbulbs of European and Maghreb photographers
The Delegation of the European Union to Tunisia is organizing ‘The SFAX...

FEATURES