Today the European Commission announces €445 million in humanitarian aid for the Syria crisis in 2016. The support is part of the Commission’s pledge made at the conference ‘Supporting Syria and the Region’ held earlier this year in London, where the EU and the Member States pledged over €3 billion to assist the Syrian people this year.
EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid & Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides, said: “Today is yet another sad milestone in the world’s worst humanitarian disaster since the Second World War which now enters its sixth year, with over 13 million Syrians in need of lifesaving aid in their country alone. The European Union is committed to supporting the Syrian people, for as long as it takes. Today’s funding will support the most vulnerable Syrians inside the country and in neighbouring Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. We need more unconditional humanitarian access now, more than ever to build on the recent efforts during the Cessation of hostilities in the country.”
Funding will be channelled through the United Nations, International Organisations, and international NGO partners, and will respond to life-threatening needs in the areas of food aid, health, water, sanitation and hygiene as well as education. It will be allocated per country as follows: Syria (€140 million), Lebanon (€87 million), Jordan (€53 million) and Turkey (€165 million).
