EU to commit around 2 bln euros in Syrian aid at donor meeting
BRUSSELS - The European Union is set to promise some 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion) in Syrian refugee aid at an international donor conference on Thursday, officials said, although much will be spent outside Syria barring an end to its civil war.
European governments and EU institutions in Brussels are seeking to respond to a call by Britain, Germany and Norway, which are hosting the conference in London along with the United Nations and Kuwait, to double humanitarian aid to the region.
"We need to ensure that all Syria's neighbors are supported," an EU official said, referring to Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq. "Inside Syria, London needs to demonstrate that the EU and others are ready to provide humanitarian access to all areas as soon as a ceasefire is agreed," the official added, although some aid would also be delivered inside the country.
Heads of state and government and ministers from countries around the world will converge on London for the "Supporting Syria and the Region" conference, which aims to raise funds for humanitarian crises caused by the Syrian war..
