Brussels to host 6th Syria donor conference in May

BRUSSELS

The European Union will host the 6th Brussels conference on Syria next month, the European Commission announced on Friday.

The European Union does not forget about the suffering and “continued tragedy of the people of Syria” despite the war in Ukraine and “this is why we will host the Brussels conference on supporting the future of Syria and the region,” said Peter Stano, the EU institution’s lead spokesman on foreign affairs.

The donor conference, set to take place on May 9-10, “will allow the international community to reaffirm its commitment to the Syrian people and also to the countries who are helping them,” he added.

Governments, international organizations and agencies, as well regional organizations and representatives of the civil society will participate at the conference that also serves as a “platform to be heard” for the Syrian people, Stano said.

Last year, the international community pledged €5.3 million ($5.7 million at current prices) aid for Syrian and neighboring countries hosting refugees.

Syria has been embroiled in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.

Over 400,000 people were killed, and more than 12 million forced to flee their homes, becoming refugees or internally displaced over the past ten years, according to the EU.

Turkiye is the largest host country for Syrian refugees and provides protection to nearly 4 million people who fled the neighboring country.