Germany said on Monday it will provide an additional €300 million ($327 million) to help mitigate the devastating impact of Syria’s civil war.
The funds will primarily support humanitarian aid, civil society and education, while also assisting Syrian refugees and host communities in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey.
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Development Minister Svenja Schulze made the announcement at a donor conference in Brussels.
“All measures in Syria will be implemented exclusively through UN aid agencies and non-governmental organizations, not with the Syrian transitional government,” a separate German government press release stated.
Addressing Syria’s situation since the ousting of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, Baerbock acknowledged both progress and ongoing challenges.
Speaking at an EU foreign ministers’ meeting, she condemned recent violence in the coastal province of Latakia, and urged the transitional government to conduct a full investigation.
“Those responsible for the horrific crimes against hundreds of civilians must be held accountable,” she said, emphasizing the need for the government to assert control over its security forces. A lasting peace, she added, requires an inclusive political process.
In early March, pro-Assad militants attacked security forces in Latakia, prompting a major military response from the transitional government.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, about 1,500 people, many of them civilians, were killed.
The government viewed the uprising as an attempt by al-Assad loyalists to destabilize the country.
Baerbock urged Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa to govern responsibly and inclusively. “This is a historic opportunity, a monumental challenge, and a delicate balancing act,” she said.
Germany’s latest pledge is significantly lower than last year’s €1 billion commitment.
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