IRC urges EU to step up Syria aid as needs remain acute
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The International Rescue Committee (IRC) on Monday called on European leaders not to scale back support for Syrians as the EU-Syria High-Level Political Dialogue convened in Brussels on May 11.
The IRC said more than 60 percent of Syria’s population — about 15.6 million people — still require humanitarian assistance, with one in four Syrians displaced, mostly women and children. Around 90 percent of the population lives in poverty, unable to meet basic needs.
Despite this, only 16 percent of the UN’s 2026 Syria response plan is funded, the group said. The shortfall follows a sharp drop in U.S. contributions and declining pledges from other donors at last year’s Brussels conference.
In a press release, IRC staff warned that malnutrition cases are expected to rise, adding pressure to overstretched health facilities.
Across Syria, infrastructure remains devastated. More than half of water networks and most electricity grids are damaged or non-functional, while a third of housing is destroyed.
Eatizaz Yousef, IRC’s Syria director, said sustained EU backing is vital as Syria faces a rare opportunity for recovery after 15 years of conflict. Marta Welander, the group’s EU advocacy director, urged member states to reverse funding cuts and combine emergency aid with early recovery investment.
The IRC also warned against reassessing refugee protections in Europe, saying premature returns risk deepening the crisis inside Syria.