The international conference 'Supporting the future of Syria and the region' came to an end in Brussels on Wednesday evening 5 April, on pledges of US$6 billion (€5.6 billion) in humanitarian aid for 2017 and $3.73 billion (€3.47 billion) in humanitarian aid, for resilience and development for 2018-2020 in order to relieve the enormous suffering of the Syrian people in the country and to support the five million refugees and their host communities (see EUROPE 11762).
All the participants at the conference recognised that beyond the aid, it is the end of the war and its attacks on civilians, in violation of international human rights, which will be able to really relieve the intolerable suffering of civilians.
"Our conference is sending a powerful message: we are not letting down the people of Syria (...) Let us be clear: humanitarian aid is not a solution. What is urgently needed is a political solution", European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management stated at the end of this international conference on Syria.
With €3.745 billion ($4.023 billion) pledged for 2017 and €2.285 billion ($2.455 billion) for 2018-2020, the EU and its member states will assure two thirds of the response to the calls for funding launched by the UN. The UN had calculated the financing needs for aid and protection to the vulnerable people in Syria and aid to the host countries for refugees (Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt) in 2017 at $8 billion.
The EU and its member states have also committed to granting €306 million in subsidised loans on the €27.9 billion ($30 billion) or so pledged by the donors and international financial institutions in the form of cheap loans.
For 2017, the European Commission's contribution will be €1.275 billion ($1.369 billion). The biggest donors among the member states are: Germany (€1.297 billion); the UK (€582.603 million); France (€75 million); Sweden (€67.963 million); Denmark (€57.5 million); and Italy (€46.1 million). The USA has pleded €526.9 million ($566 million). (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)