Donors at Brussels pledge 7.5 billion euros to help war-affected Syrians

QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – International donors gathered in Brussels announced on Monday committing 7.5 billion euros ($8.1 billion) in grants and loans to assist Syrians affected by conflict, poverty, and hunger not only this year but also into the future.

This came within the 8th edition of the Ministerial meeting of Brussels Conference on “Supporting the future of Syria and the region” that took place in Brussels.

This year’s 5 billion euros were committed in grants, with about 3.8 billion euros designated for 2024 and 1.2 billion euros for the following year and beyond. In addition to the grants, there are also 2.5 billion euros in loans included in the total amount pledged for the year.

The pledges surpassed $4.07 billion that was requested by the United Nations (U.N.) but was also a significant drop from amounts pledged in past years due to focusing attention on other conflicts in Ukraine, Sudan, and Gaza.

Moreover, this year’s funding is intended to aid both Syrians within Syria and about 5.7 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan, who face economic challenges.

At the 2023 Brussels conference, donors committed $10.3 billion after a devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and northern Syria, which claimed over 59,000 lives, including 6,000 in Syria.

In recent years, U.N. agencies and other international aid organizations have faced difficulties with decreased budgets, which have led to the reduction or elimination of aid programs.

Meanwhile, eight EU member states, including Cyprus and Hungary, reiterated their calls for the reevaluation of areas in Syria as safe to return Syrian refugees during the conference in Brussels.

Whereas, aid groups stressed it is necessary to provide sustainable solutions for Syrians to return, such as improving infrastructure and creating job opportunities in Syria.

By Ster Youssef