Belgium has pledged an additional 10 million euros in support for people affected by the crisis in Syria and refugees in neighboring countries, as announced by Development Minister Caroline

Gennez during a European donor conference.

Brussels is hosting the seventh EU conference for Syria, aiming to mobilize humanitarian and financial assistance for the Syrian people both within the country and in the surrounding region.

"After more than 10 years of war and a devastating earthquake, almost nothing is still standing," Gennez described the dire situation in Syria. "15.5 million people are reliant on humanitarian aid, with half of them being women and children. There is a severe shortage of food and water, and the number of habitable houses has drastically declined."

Simultaneously, humanitarian aid is diminishing. In response, Belgium has committed an additional 10 million euros to supplement its annual humanitarian contribution to the region of 27.5 million euros. The majority of the aid will be directed to the United Nations emergency humanitarian fund for Syria and international and local NGOs that have been actively engaged in the region for several years.

"Syrian children, in particular, are suffering," highlighted Gennez. "More than 600,000 children suffer from chronic malnutrition, and an entire generation is being deprived of education due to insecurity and the destruction of schools."

The allocated funds will be used to address basic needs such as food, water, hygiene, shelter, and medical care. They will also support the millions of refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey, countries facing their own political and economic challenges.

"Political and social pressures to return or leave are escalating," Gennez expressed concern. "Without international support, the likelihood of a mass exodus of Syrian refugees, similar to the 2015 scenario, becomes increasingly probable." Photo by Christiaan Triebert, Wikimedia commons.