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Ploumen pledges €6 million in emergency aid for Syria
Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Lilianne Ploumen has promised an additional €6 million to help the more than 9 million people who have fled the violence in Syria. The United Nations says that €6.5 billion is needed this year for food, shelter, basic medical care and other forms of aid, and UN emergency relief coordinator Valerie Amos has called on the world to do more to help the affected civilians.
Ms Ploumen said: 'The situation in the refugee camps is dramatic and is deteriorating by the day. And it's even worse for the countless people who aid workers are unable to reach. Every day is a struggle for survival. As long as there is no political solution to this terrible civil war, extra aid will continue to be necessary for those affected. Like other countries, the Netherlands is making a contribution.'
The Dutch contribution will go to the United Nations, which is coordinating international relief efforts. The Minister has already made €7 million available for 2014 through Dutch aid organisations, and the Dutch contribution to emergency aid to Syria in 2012 and 2013 totalled €61 million. This means that the Netherlands' contribution to emergency aid for Syrians affected by the conflict is comparable in proportionate terms to that of other European countries (Sweden: €60 million, Germany: €320 million, Denmark: €55 million).