EU, partners boost Syria aid with €5.8 billion in grants and loans

The European Union and its partners are allocating an additional €5.8 billion to mitigate the consequences of the civil war in Syria and assist neighbouring countries.

This was announced by European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica following the donor conference in Brussels on Monday, March 17, Caliber.Az reports, citing German media.

According to her, out of the €5.8 billion, €4.2 billion will be provided as grants, while €1.6 billion will be in the form of loans.

"The EU and its partners just pledged €5.8 billion for Syria and its neighbours. This will support Syria at a crucial time of transition and address the dire needs on the ground. This is a chance for the people of Syria to seize the moment and shape their own destiny," wrote EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas on social media platform X.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and German Development Minister Svenja Schulze announced a contribution of €300 million to support the people of Syria and Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries.

It should be noted that at last year’s donor conference in Brussels, Germany had pledged over €1 billion. The fact that Berlin’s contribution turned out to be significantly lower this time is linked to the collapse of the ruling coalition in Germany in the fall of last year.

The ninth donor conference is the first to take place after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s long-standing regime in Syria in December 2024.

Hopes for a swift and lasting peace have been overshadowed by a new wave of violence. On March 12, UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that thousands of Alawite civilians in western Syria had sought refuge at Russia’s Hmeimim airbase.

"Thousands of Alawite civilians fled massacres in the city of Jableh and surrounding villages and found shelter at the Hmeimim military base and its vicinity," the observers said.

According to SOHR, since March 6, when the new Syrian authorities launched a large-scale counteroperation in the provinces of Latakia, Tartus, Hama, and Homs against those they consider supporters of the ousted President Assad, a total of 1,383 civilians — mostly Alawites — have been killed by March 12.

By Tamilla Hasanova