Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney, TD, today pledged a further €23 million in humanitarian assistance from Ireland in response to the Syria crisis in 2021. This brings Ireland’s response to the crisis since 2012 to more than €192 million Ireland’s largest ever response to a single crisis.

Minister Coveney made the pledge at the fifth Brussels Conference on Supporting the future of Syria and the region, a virtual event hosted by the EU and UN on 29-30 March.“This conference tragically marks a decade of conflict in Syria. The conflict, which followed the Syrian people’s expression of their legitimate aspiration to democracy and respect for fundamental rights, has forced millions to flee their homes. It has left millions of Syrians in need of humanitarian assistance.”

Ireland is, together with Norway, leading the negotiations of the UN Security Council’s resolution on the humanitarian situation in Syria. This resolution authorises the UN to deliver aid across the Turkish border to north-west Syria, where millions of vulnerable people depend on it to survive.

Minister Coveney called for all parties to allow access to populations in need, wherever they are located. He recalled their obligations under international law and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities.In announcing Ireland’s pledge of €23 million to help meet the needs of those affected by the Syria regional crisis, the Minister concluded:

“I strongly believe that the only way to bring lasting peace for all the people of Syria is through a sustainable, Syrian-owned political process. I urge all parties to engage seriously with the UN‑facilitated process under the provisions in Security Council resolution 2254.”

On the eve of the fifth Brussels conference for Syria, the United Nations humanitarian, refugee and development chiefs have urged international donors to step up and stand with the millions of people in Syria and the region who depend on lifesaving humanitarian aid and livelihood support after a decade of war.With the added impact of COVID-19, there is no respite for civilians in Syria. They face increasing hunger and poverty, continued displacement and ongoing attacks. The neighbouring countries host four out of five Syrian refugees worldwide, in what remains the world’s largest refugee crisis, while also trying to address increasing socio-economic challenges for their own nationals.

Today 24 million people need humanitarian or other forms of assistance in Syria and the region. That is four million more than in 2020, and more than at any other time since the conflict began.

 

Image source ;UNCHR