EU ready to reconfirm solidarity at 'Supporting Syria and the Region' conference

Met dank overgenomen van Europese Dienst voor Extern Optreden (EDEO) i, gepubliceerd op woensdag 3 februari 2016.

High Representative Federica Mogherini i together with President Tusk i, President Schulz and Commissioners Hahn and Stylianides will travel to London on Thursday 4 February to attend the conference 'Supporting Syria and the Region'. They will represent the EU to reconfirm their solidarity with the Syrian people and neighbouring countries that have been affected by the crisis.

The Syrian crisis has become the world's worst humanitarian disaster. The EU is the leading donor in the international response, with over €5 billion from the EU and Member States collectively in humanitarian, development, economic and stabilisation assistance. The EU's support goes both to Syrians in their country and to refugees and their host communities in neighbouring Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq. The EU and the Member States are working on further support, both short and medium term. President of the European Council Tusk and High Representative Mogherini will speak for the EU in the plenary and refer to the EU pledge.

The conference is hosted by the United Kingdom with Germany, Norway, Kuwait and United Nations. Over seventy Heads of State/Government have been invited to the event. The Conference takes place in the context of increased international efforts to find a political solution to the Syria conflict.

With the Syria conflict soon entering its sixth year, 18 million people are in need of assistance, 6.5 million are internally displaced in Syria and 4.6 million Syrians have been forced to flee to neighbouring countries. The London Conference takes a different approach from previous pledging conferences for the Syria crisis in Kuwait, as it also seeks to address the longer-term stabilisation of Syria and neighbouring refugee/hosting countries.

Factsheet on EU support in response to the Syrian crisis available here

Video and photos of the visit will be available on EbS

Topics

Mediterranean & Middle East,

Migration,

Syria