The development minister, Ulla Tørnæs, has revealed today that Denmark will send 730 million kroner to help alleviate the ongoing crisis in Syria.
Tørnæs announced the aid pledge at the The Brussels II conference, hosted by the UN and EU with the aim of addressing the humanitarian needs of those afflicted by the crisis in Syria.
“It’s difficult to comprehend the untold suffering that the Syrian population is enduring. The conflict is now in its eighth year and the number of those suffering is continuing to increase. So governments must prioritise aid to one of the world’s biggest humanitarian disasters – in Syria and nearby countries,” said Tørnæs.
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Millions affected
According to Tørnæs, about half of Denmark’s sizeable aid contribution (380 million kroner) will be dedicated to focusing on a sustainable development among refugees and local communities in Lebanon and Jordan.
Some 140 million kroner of the Danish aid funds will go to acute humanitarian efforts, while an additional 149 million kroner has been earmarked to help new humanitarian efforts later in 2018.
Recent UN figures estimated that over 12 million people were internally displaced or had fled to neighbouring countries due to the conflict.
Part of the aid contribution requires the approval of Parliament, while Tørnæs pledged to set up a meeting regarding the international effort to prosecute those who commit crimes in the conflict.
