The government has approved a further 55 million kroner of aid for the displaced refugees fleeing the ongoing conflict in Syria.
In just the last few days, hundreds of thousands of people have fled their homes as the jihadist organisation Islamic State (IS) continues to wreak havoc in the region.
”The civil war in Syria contributes to an incredible refugee crisis that touches us all,” Mogens Jensen, the trade and development minister, said in a press release.
“We again see a massive stream of Syrians to Turkey – this time fleeing IS. Many Syrians live in terrible conditions in besieged areas in Syria, while others flee to neighouring countries or look towards Europe, Denmark included, to get asylum.”
READ MORE: More fighters going from Denmark to Syria than most other Western nations
Helping close to home
The minister is currently in New York taking part in a UN assembly where he is discussing the Syrian refugee crisis with a host of politicians. Jensen plans to present a Danish-led effort for Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq.
It is estimated that 10.8 million people inside Syria need humanitarian aid and more than three million refugees are now registered in neighbouring nations. Turkish authorities confirmed that they had received 131,000 Syrians since Friday alone.
“It is essential that we help the refugees in or close to their homeland,” Jensen said. “We must create the best possible setting in the midst of this human tragedy.”
“Meanwhile, we must admit there is a limit to how many refugees we can accept in our part of the world, so it’s in our interest that we do everything we can to help the refugees in Syria and the surrounding nations.”
With the additional 55 million kroner, Denmark has now given 835 million kroner to the aid efforts since the conflict in Syria began.
