The European Union has pledged €2.12 billion ($2.31 billion) to support Syria and neighboring countries amid a critical humanitarian situation, as announced during the eighth edition of the Brussels Conference on ‘Supporting the future of Syria and the region’. This pledge reiterates the EU’s previous commitment made during the 2023 Brussels VII Conference, which allocated €560 million ($609 million) toward aiding Syria and Syrian refugees in host countries. More details on the allocation are available here.
The EU High Representative and Vice-President of the European Commission, Josep Borrell, emphasized the necessity of pushing for a Syrian-owned political solution. Borrell reiterated that the resolution of the crisis must align with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254, which calls for the safe and voluntary return of refugees and the rehabilitation of affected areas. The resolution was established on December 18, 2015, in response to the severe humanitarian conditions caused by persistent and brutal violence.
Speaking at the conference, Borrell highlighted that 70 percent of Syria’s population is in dire need of humanitarian aid, marking it as one of the most serious crises globally. The current security conditions, marked by breaches of international humanitarian law by both the Assad government and the Islamic State, render the return of Syrian refugees virtually impossible. Borrell called for EU partners to adhere to necessary national procedures for asylum and refugee rights in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Over the course of the Syrian conflict, the EU has mobilized over €30 billion in humanitarian, development, economic, and stabilization aid to assist Syrian nationals. Nonetheless, ongoing challenges persist. Amnesty International has urged participating governments to ensure that any aid provided to Syrian refugees in host countries, such as Lebanon, does not lead to human rights abuses or forcible deportations. Amnesty condemned the increasing restrictive measures and hateful rhetoric of Lebanese authorities toward refugees, aimed at pressuring them to return. More on Amnesty International’s stance can be found here.
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