Brussels, 02/02/2016 (Agence Europe) - In addition to humanitarian aid, the long-term needs of Syrian refugees will be the focus of the donors' conference to support Syria and the region, which is being co-chaired by the UK, Germany, Norway, Kuwait and the United Nations in London on 4 February.
The European Union will be represented at the highest level at this conference which, as in Geneva where the inter-Syrian peace talks began, is aimed at unifying the international community around the Syrian people, in line with UN Resolution 2254.
European Council President Donald Tusk, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn and European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides will take part in the conference, which has three objectives: collecting new funds for the most affected countries, covering the long-term needs of the refugees in the region, and increasing civilian protection. The EU will contribute to these three objectives, as the foreign affairs ministers stated on 18 January (see EUROPE 11470).
After the three conferences, Kuwait I, II, and III, where the EU showed leadership in terms of mobilising development assistance and humanitarian aid (€1.1 billion over a year), the London conference will inaugurate a new approach to bring an exhaustive and comprehensive response to a large-scale humanitarian crisis, which is the cause of terrible suffering for the Syrian people, but also of growing pressure on the neighbouring countries and EU in terms of refugee flows and the terrorist threat.
Out of a population of 20 million, Syria has 6.5 million displaced people and 13 million needing aid. In order to cover the needs of Syria and the region, the UN is calling for $8 billion. “The scale of the needs is increasing exponentially. To plug the gap, the aid needs to at least be doubled. Germany and the UK have already announced that they will reportedly double their contribution, which is a benchmark for the EU - not only for 2016, but for a pluriannual commitment between today and 2020, because the refugees are here for several years”, a high level EU official told press on Monday. The official immediately added: “But money is nothing without humanitarian access or protection or an outlook”.
To help the people of Syria, it is urgent that a general and effective ceasefire and humanitarian access be obtained as fast as possible, especially in the besieged towns, and to ensure the protection of the displaced people.
Offering an outlook to the refugees. To help the neighbouring countries (Lebanon which is hosting over a million refugees or 25% of its population, Jordan which is hosting 600,000 to 800,000 or also 25% of its population, and Turkey which is hosting 2.5 million but which has already received €3 billion from the EU), the priority is to adopt new measures for Lebanon and Jordan and the host communities for refugees which are commensurate with their needs, the EU believes. This will help these fragile countries become stabilised and will avoid the Syrian situation spreading into Jordan. The emphasis will be on educating children and providing jobs and the means for survival that can offer the refugees an outlook of being able to stay there.
“An extremely serious crisis calls for a global response, not only a humanitarian one. The presence of refugees is becoming a permanent feature requiring the mobilisation of other instruments. The refugees need to be given the means for survival, the possibility of working, of having a more dignified life. This comprehensive approach, approved by the five co-chairs, is particularly important for the EU”, said a high level EU official.
The Maddad Fund (trust fund for Syria), which enables funds to be mobilised quickly and flexibly, and in which 17 EU member states are participating (and soon 19 with the upcoming participation of Spain and the Netherlands), is currently equipped with €650 million to help build the refugees' resilience in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, and also Iraq (projects are starting in northern Iraq) and soon the Western Balkans. Around 50% of the funds will be for education, because “this is an important means of fighting against radicalisation”, the high level EU official stated.
The EU and its member states are the top providers of humanitarian aid in response to the Syrian crisis. In total, over €5 billion is already committed in emergency aid, development aid and stabilisation assistance in Syria and in the neighbouring countries which are hosting 4.29 million Syrian refugees. Around half of this sum (€2.6 billion) is from the European Commission - in other words, €1 billion in humanitarian aid and €1.6 billion in development aid. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)