Finland grants nearly 5 million euros in humanitarian assistance for the victims of the crisis in Syria
Press Release 251/2013
3 December 2013
By decision of Minister for International Development Pekka Haavisto, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs has granted 4.9 million euros in humanitarian assistance to relieve suffering in the Syrian crisis. With Finland’s support, food can be supplied to Syria and refugees in neighbouring countries can be helped to prepare for the winter. The assistance will be delivered through the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Food Programme (WFP). UNHCR accounts for EUR 3.8 million and WFP for just under EUR 1.1 million of the total sum.
This decision increases Finland’s humanitarian assistance for the Syrian crisis to a total of 20 million euros. Of this amount, 16.3 million has been granted during 2013. More than one third of the support has been given to UNHCR, which is running a massive relief operation in Syria and its neighbouring countries.
“The Ministry is constantly following the work done by UNHCR in Syria’s neighbouring countries. The organization is acting professionally and efficiently in a highly complex environment, and our help will meet a real need,” says Minister Haavisto.
The conflict in Syria has driven over two million people into exile. Inside the country, more than nine million people, half of them children, need humanitarian assistance.
“The parties to the war have not been able to protect civilians according to their international obligations. In consequence, ordinary Syrian women, men and children have fallen victim to the war,” Minister Haavisto continues. “We use all means to support the efforts for the Syrian peace process so that refugees, too, can return to their homes.”
In all, 97 per cent of the refugees are in Syria’s neighbouring countries, whose own societies and economies are under extreme pressure.
“Syria’s neighbours are making an enormous effort to help the refugees. It is extremely important that these countries are supported in every way possible so that they can still keep their borders open for refugees,” Haavisto says.
The Minister considers it important that Finland extends help to the distressed in Syria in many ways.
“In accordance with the Government’s earlier decision, Finland will receive 500 Syrians as part of the refugee quota for 2014. I was very glad when I heard of the decision made by the City of Tampere to receive 50 Syrian refugees. I hope that other municipalities, too, will be active in this respect,” Minister Haavisto says.
Additional information: Director Anna Gebremedhin, Unit for Humanitarian Assistance, mobile tel. +358 40 583 0149, Milma Kettunen, Press Attaché to Minister Haavisto, mobile tel. +358 40 522 9869