Aid agencies say €5.3bn raised for Syria inadequate
Jerome Hughes
Press TV, Brussels
More than 80 countries and international organizations took part in the fifth fundraising conference for Syria, coordinated from the European Commission in Brussels.
Millions of Syrians displaced within their own country, and millions more who fled, face increasing hunger and poverty. Children have been very badly impacted during the ten-year conflict.
The US, UK and several EU nations have done all in their power to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Weapons supplied by the West to anti-government fighters were used to kill innocent civilians when these fighters joined Daesh. It's a point we raised with the EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, during an online press conference.
We asked him if Western nations are not to blame to a large extent or at least to some extent, for this catastrophe. Borrell chose not to answer that question. So, I asked if there's any justice in the EU donating €24bn to Syria over the past ten years while donating €16bn to Ukraine over a six year period, perhaps because it has a border with the EU's adversary, Russia.
For its part, the UK told the event it is planning to apply more pressure on the Syrian government. It's being suggested the apparent obsession the UK, US and EU have with sanctions is making a horrific situation even worse.
Aid agency Oxfam says sanctions against the Syrian government are hampering efforts to provide humanitarian assistance within the country.
Russia's Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Vershinin told the conference that foreign interference in Syria must end in line with international law, and sanctions should be lifted from the Syrian government. Brussels would be wise to cooperate with Moscow, experts suggest.
Four out of five Syrian refugees are trying to survive in neighbouring countries, not the EU, UK or US. The donors conference raised €5.3bn for 2021. Aid agencies are releasing statements saying it's simply not enough.
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