EU, member states review progress, results of EUTF Syria
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – European Commission representatives, members of the European Parliament, delegates from 21 EU Member States convened on Tuesday in Brussels to attend the 13th Trust Fund Board and the 15th Operational Board meeting.
The delegates from EU Member States included the United Kingdom, Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and the Government of Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI).
The attendees are serving as the governing entities for the EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis (EUTF Syria) – “Madad Fund”.
The European Union official website reported, quoting Gerhard Krause, Deputy Head of the Middle East Unit at the Directorate-General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR), “As the global response to the Syrian crisis, the EUTF Syria made a difference in the lives of more than 10 million people, including Syrian refugees and their host communities.”
“The EU and its partners will continue to work hand in hand to addressing the needs of all those impacted by the Syrian crisis,” Krause added.
The EUTF Syria has funded 129 pivotal actions, primarily in Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Turkey, with a total allocation of €2.38 billion euros since its inception in December 2014, according to the source.
The contribution has played a crucial role in enhancing access to essential services across seven sectors, notably Basic and Higher Education, Health, Livelihoods, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Protection and Social Protection.
The EUTF Syria has been the key instrument for delivering the pledges made by the EU at the London conference on Syria in 2016.
The Trust Fund stopped contracting new actions as of Dec. 14, 2021, with several projects undergoing implementation until June 14 2025.