30 September 2015
1 billion Euro to UNHCR, WFP to help end the war in Syria
European Union and member state leaders gathered in Brussels on 23 September to discuss the migration influx seen in the last months as a result of war in Syria. The informal European Council sought to respond to the urgent needs of refugees in the region by further donation to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the World Food Programme and other agencies. In a statement released following the summit an additional 1 billion euro was announced to those agencies.
Further priorities set were assistance to the frontline countries receiving refugees to ensure identification, registration and fingerprinting of migrants and ensure relocation and returns at latest by November 2015. Assistance to Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and other countries in dealing with the Syrian refugee crisis, including through a substantial increase of the EU's Regional Trust Fund in response to the Syrian Crisis ("Madad Fund"), reinforcing the dialogue with Turkey at all levels, including at the upcoming visit of the Turkish President (5 October), in order to strengthen cooperation on stemming and managing the migratory flows. Other measures which dealt with the Western Balkans handling of the refugees as well as the use of the Emergency Fund for Asylum and border protection are available here and will also be revisited in the European Council summit scheduled for October.
"As regards Syria, we call for a renewed UN-led international effort to bring an end to the war that has caused so much suffering and forced an estimated 12 million people to leave their homes; the EU commits to doing its part in this respect, as well as for the formation of a government of national unity in Libya," The European Council statement noted.
