Donor countries pledge to provide 5.8 billion euros to support Syria Economy news

The donor countries, including the European Union, pledged today, Monday, to provide aid to Syria worth 5.8 billion euros, during an annual donor conference held by the European Union in Brussels to support Syria in the reconstruction, after the overthrow of the regime of ousted President Bashar al -Assad.

“I am honored to announce that we all pledged to a total of 5.8 billion euros, (she) 4.2 billion of donations and 1.6 billion loans,” said European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Sea Dubrafka Soyka.

The European Union had previously pledged to provide about 2.5 billion euros from aid to Syria until next year, before the amount later rose to 5.8 billion euros.

“The Syrians need more support, whether they are still abroad or decided to return to their homes, so we today increase our pledges to the Syrians in the country and the region to about 2.5 billion euros for 2025 and 2026.”.

Deir Line added, “The dreams of the Syrian people have become possible, and that the Syrian people need supporters at this critical stage.” She said that the path of recovery in Syria is long, but the signals are promising, noting that there are parties that do not want to succeed in the reconciliation process in Syria.

For her part, Kaya Callas, the European Union’s Supreme Union and Security Policy representative, said that the union will proceed with the plan to reduce sanctions on Syria, and that the conference of donor parties on Syria sends a message of collective support for a peaceful and comprehensive transfer process led by Syrians.

She added, “This is the time of urgent needs and challenges for Syria, as well as a tragic manner from the recent wave of violence in coastal areas.”

Callas announced that the European Union pledged to provide 750 million euros to support the population inside Syria and the Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq, with a similar amount to support Syrian refugees in Türkiye.

A British German pledge

Germany pledged during the conference to give an additional 300 million euros to Syria, to alleviate the catastrophic consequences of the civil war there.

According to the data, German funds are scheduled to be used primarily for humanitarian aid, and also to support civil society and the educational system, as well as support Syrian refugees and their host societies in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey.

The United Kingdom has also pledged to provide up to 160 million pounds (200 million dollars) this year to support Syria’s recovery, noting that this “will help provide the basic needs of Syrians of water, food, health care and education during 2025”.

Al -Shaibani calls for the lifting of sanctions

For the first time, the ninth conference of donors attended representatives of the government in Damascus, headed by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al -Shaibani, who said in a speech during the opening of the conference that his country’s government was calling for the lifting of the sanctions imposed on it and the support of its reconstruction.

The Syrian minister pointed out that “the donor conference in Brussels today has a real Syrian representation for the first time,” and said that “the continuation of the sanctions means that the Syrian people are the punishable, and it must be lifted because it prevents the renaissance of the country.”

He added that the Syrians will not tolerate “with any prejudice to the sovereignty and unity of Syria, and the government is working to enhance the national reconciliation and dialogue, and protect the rights of all its citizens,” stressing that the government’s steps towards the renaissance of Syria “must be compatible with the aspirations of the people, which most of which still live in the camps.”

He said, “The former regime took advantage of the minority paper, and that the current authority refuses to do so because it believes in citizenship for all Syrians, stressing that the government seeks to implement the agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces, and is working to not form any threat to neighboring countries.”

Al -Shaibani also explained that Israel violates the 1974 agreement, and is penetrating into Syria, in a threat to its sovereignty and the safety of its people.

America’s withdrawal

It is noteworthy that the European Union has been hosting the donors conference in Brussels since 2017, but it was taking place without the participation of the Assad government, which was avoided because of its approach during the civil war that erupted in 2011.

The donor conference last year succeeded in collecting about 7.5 billion euros for Syria. But the efforts made to achieve this result have become at risk this year, due to the United States’ decision to suspend its international aid, as it has so far been considered the main donor of international aid to Syria.

It is expected that the total number of pledges as a result of that is less than previous years, but the organizers of this donor conference hope that Arab countries will be able to compensate for the American withdrawal.

In light of the enormous needs, the United Nations estimated that, at the current pace, Syria will need at least half a century to return to the economic situation it was before the civil war that erupted in 2011.