Germany steps up humanitarian assistance for Syrian refugees

Germany is increasing its humanitarian assistance for the victims of the Syrian conflict by three million euros.

Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle issued the following statement today:

> Today we are providing an additional three million euros to aid Syrian refugees. We Germans have thus now provided a total of 11 million euros.

> We have to assume that one million people have fled their homes in Syria, well over 120,000 of whom to neighbouring countries. We must help these people if a humanitarian disaster is to be prevented.

> Our assistance includes food, medical help and water, that is to say those things which are most needed at present.

The additional sum made available today from the Federal Foreign Office’s humanitarian aid budget is intended to help both displaced persons in Syria and the Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon.

The Federal Agency for Technical Relief is installing the entire water supply for Za’atari refugee camp.

The German Ambassador in Ankara, Eberhard Pohl, will visit refugee camps at Turkey’s border with Syria with his French colleague on Monday.