Donors stump up for Syrians, as EU keeps anti-Assad stance

Brussels – The EU on Thursday led donors pledging billions of dollars for Syrian refugees, but said it will not ease its stance on President Bashar al-Assad’s government despite Syria rejoining the Arab League.

The bloc’s institutions promised an initial sum of 560 million euros ($600 million) for 2024, which was to grow in coming months as other EU contributions were added to it.

Foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that, for 2023, as in previous years, the European Union had committed 1.56 billion euros.

The money mainly goes to help Syria’s neighbouring countries — including Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon — hosting 5.4 million Syrian refugees.

The United States pledged an extra $920 million in humanitarian assistance to Syrians for this year at Thursday’s international donors’ conference in Brussels, bringing its total 2023 aid to $1.1 billion.

The conference brought together representatives from 57 countries and dozens of international organisations.

Britain pledged 150 million pounds ($190 million) for this year, bringing its total annual assistance for Syrians to $246 million.

The total amount raised from the donors was to be given late Thursday.

The previous donors’ conference last year resulted in $6.7 billion in pledges, and the one before that, $6.4 billion.  

While the aid was earmarked to help Syrians, Borrell stressed it was not going to the Damascus government led by Assad.

“The European Union policy on Syria has not changed — we will not re-establish full diplomatic relations with the Assad regime or start working on reconstruction until a genuine and comprehensive political transition is firmly on the way, which is not the case.”

He added that “we have to remain committed to the justice and accountability for the crimes committed during more that a decade of conflict”.

Assad, who stayed in power thanks to support from allies Iran and Russia, has become less of an international pariah by being welcomed back last month into the Arab League.

“This conference comes at the right time, especially after Syria returns to its seat in the Arab League,” Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said as he arrived for the Brussels conference.

He acknowledged “sharp discussions” in Brussels about Syria’s re-joining the League, “but we have an opinion and we will express our opinions”.

– Conflict continues –

Since 2011, more than 500,000 people have been killed in Syria after Assad’s brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters sparked a complex war that drew in foreign powers and jihadists.

The UN says more than 12 million Syrians were displaced, most of them inside Syria, and with 5.4 million living as refugees in neighbouring countries.

“Unfortunately, over the last year there has been little progress, very little progress, towards a resolution of the Syria conflict,” Borrell said.

The EU will maintain its sanctions on Assad’s regime and not support the return of Syrians to that country unless they are “voluntary”, safe and monitored by international groups, he said.

The UN’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, told the conference that, while he believed “we are at an inflection point” on Syria, “the causes and consequences of the conflict are still not being comprehensively addressed”.

The US representative, State Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Uzra Zeya, called on other donors to increase contributions “as Syrians continue to face severe challenges from years of war, terrorism, and natural disaster”.

She also said “unfettered humanitarian access” to all parts of Syria was needed, and reaffirmed that a political transition in Damascus, as set out in a UN Security Council resolution, “remains the only way to end the suffering of the Syrian people”.