De Croo and Ploumen: Immediate additional EU support for Syrian refugees

Both Ministers also request an emergency meeting of the EU Ministers for Development. “This exceptional crisis demands an exceptional response, especially from Europe. Otherwise there is the threat of a lost generation, very close to our European borders. We cannot look away. The EU can and must play an important role in this situation.”

The Syrian war is the most devastating conflict of this century. More than 250,000 people have lost their lives, and more than 1 million were injured. The number of Syrian refugees has also reached distressing record levels. More than four million Syrians have fled their country to one of the neighbouring countries, and within Syria, 7.6 million people are displaced. 5.6 million Syrian children need humanitarian aid today.

Most of the refugees (more than 90 percent) choose to remain within their own region. Some of them have already spent four winters in refugee camps. At this time, the UN is struggling with a major funding gap to provide the necessary humanitarian aid to Syria and neighbouring countries in the Syrian region. Only one quarter of the required funds is available. Financial restrictions have resulted in a shortage of food and medicines. “Only more and better emergency aid and assistance on the ground can prevent people from starting on the life-threatening journey that has already cost so many lives,” De Croo and Ploumen say.

For this reason, The Netherlands announced an extensive aid package for the Syrian region and Iraq last week, with a total value of 48.5 million euros. Today, Belgium also increased its support for humanitarian aid in the Syrian region by 30 million euros. Both Ministers: “This humanitarian aid is extremely necessary. It allows the provision of both short and long term support for people who were forced to leave home and hearth, and have often suffered the loss of family members.

The European Commission has an annual budget of 10 billion euros at its disposal for development aid, as well as 1.2 billion for humanitarian aid. “Europe must act more quickly and flexibly, certainly as far as funding for development as it relates to the broader needs in these regions is concerned. As things stand, bureaucratic rules and regulations impede rapid allocation.  This hinders a fast, integrated response. Let us prioritise the needs that must be addressed, rather than rules and regulations,” say De Croo and Ploumen.