Denmark earmarks 250 million more for Syria

Danes eager to show the way ahead of Brussels conference

Apr 3, 2017

The government is stepping up its aid efforts in support of the victims of the conflict in Syria with a 250 million kroner aid grant.

The aid is aimed at emergency humanitarian assistance, as well as more long-term development initiative in Syria and neighbouring nations dealing with the massive influx of refugees fleeing the violence.

“The situation for Syria’s civilian population is become increasingly desperate and over 11 million Syrians are either internally displaced or have fled the country,” said the development minister, Ulla Tørnæs.

“Meanwhile, just a fraction of the humanitarian needs for Syria have been financed. So we are now setting aside a quarter of a billion kroner to help the many people who are affected by the war – in and outside Syria’s borders.”

Tørnæs recently visited Jordan and Lebanon and witnessed first-hand the immense pressure being applied by Syria’s refugees.

Beacon in Brussels
The new aid contribution arrives just ahead of next week’s international Syria conference in Brussels, where about 70 nations, civil societies, the UN and the EU will congregate to discuss the fragile future of Syria and ensure that donors live up to their promises to support the victims of the civil war.

Since the conflict flared up in 2011, Denmark has given over 2 billion kroner in aid – 1 billion kroner of which was given in 2015 and 2016 alone.

The foreign minister, Anders Samuelsen, will represent Denmark during the upcoming conference in Brussels, ‘Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region’, on April 4-5.