EU boosts humanitarian support for Syria crisis by €64 million

Today the European Union has increased its humanitarian response to the Syria crisis with an additional €64 million.This new funding comes

Today the European Union has increased its humanitarian response to the Syria crisis with an additional €64 million.

This new funding comes amid growing concerns over the worsening humanitarian situation, with further large-scale displacements of people across Syria and to neighbouring countries.

"The humanitarian situation is going from bad to worse as fighting has intensified in the absence of a political solution. This additional funding will provide much needed assistance to the people in need. But far more will be needed given the scale of the crisis. I call upon all donors to stand by their commitments made in support of the people of Syria. With this contribution, the European Commission shoulders its responsibility and will continue to do so," said Christos Stylianides, EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management.

This additional support will bring vital aid in the areas of health, food, water, sanitation and protection to the people in need both inside Syria and in the neighbouring countries hosting Syrian refugees.

Background

While food assistance continues to account for the lion's share of EU's humanitarian funding for Syria, the EU is also increasingly addressing health and protection needs. The health system in Syria has been crumbling due to the ongoing systematic assaults on medical personnel and facilities, which have forced nearly half of Syria’s doctors to flee and have led to a severe shortage of essential medicines. More than one million people are in need of acute hospital care, but with more than half of the country's public hospitals only partially functioning or completely shut down, these needs cannot be catered for.

Today's funding is part of the €200m pledged from the EU’s humanitarian budget at the Kuwait pledging conference in the beginning of 2015. Together, the EU institutions and Member States pledged close to €1.1 billion - doubling the overall EU pledge from the 2014 donors' conference. EU Member States also increased their pledges compared to 2014.

Since the start of the conflict in Syria, more than 11.5 million people have been forced to flee their homes, including four million who fled to neighbouring countries, and more than 12 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance inside Syria alone. The EU and its Member States have so far mobilised €3.7 billion to respond to the growing needs caused by the conflict in Syria.