Press Release: Syrian crisis: EU pledges additional funding for humanitarian aid as needs continue to rise

The European Commission will pledge an extra €165 million for vital humanitarian assistance and for areas such as education and support to host communities and local societies for 2014 at the International Pledging Conference for Syria in Kuwait on 15 January 2014. This will bring the total funding since the start of the crisis to over €1.1 billion, including €615 million in life saving humanitarian aid alone.

The crisis posed by millions of refugees from Syria's civil war flooding into neighbouring countries is becoming a humanitarian and political catastrophe that can only be eased if Europe opens its doors, the UN and European Commission have warned.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Additional €30 million to boost aid for victims of Syria crisis http://www.europeansources.info/record/additional-e30-million-to-boost-aid-for-victims-of-syria-crisis/

ESO: Background information: Syria crisis: the EU responds to spiralling needs with more emergency humanitarian aid http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-syria-crisis-the-eu-responds-to-spiralling-needs-with-more-emergency-humanitarian-aid/

The Guardian: 13.01.14: EU must open doors to avoid Syrian refugee catastrophe, says UN http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/13/syrian-refugee-catastrophe-european-union-united-nations

European Commission: RAPID: Speech, SPEECH/14/31: "We must put the people of Syria first" http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-14-31_en.pdf

EurActiv [Interview], 24.01.14: Amnesty: Europe’s response to Syria is 'pathetic' http://www.euractiv.com/global-europe/amnesty-sec-gen-europe-response-interview-532983

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