On Wednesday, the EU’s foreign policy chief reassured that Syrians remain a “priority for the European Union” through a statement he has given.
Josep Borrell said the EU was “fully committed” to finding “a durable and comprehensible political solution in Syria,” according to a statement issued on the 11th anniversary of the beginning of the “tragic and bloody conflict in Syria.”
Borrell stated that Syrian refugees “constitute the largest displacement crisis in the world with 5.7 registered refugees,” while another 6.9 million internally displaced people live in the war-torn country, underlining that Syrians were in serious need of humanitarian assistance.
Until an agreement is reached for a political solution to the conflict in line with the UN’s demands, Borrell stressed that the EU would not normalize relations with the Bashar al-Assad regime, nor contribute to the country’s reconstruction or lift sanctions.
He further said the EU “cannot and will not look away as the future of Syria and its people are held hostage to the conflict.”
In order to raise funds for the Syrian people and the region, the EU will co-host with the UN the sixth Brussels Conference on Supporting the Future of Syria on May 10.
In support of the Syrian people, the EU and its member states mobilized over $27.5 billion since 2011.
Syria has been in civil war since early 2011 when the regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests.
Over 350,000 people lost their lives to the conflict in Syria, according to the official numbers of the UN. However, human rights groups estimate the death toll to be between 500,000-600,000.
Meanwhile, according to the EU, over 14 million had to flee their homes, becoming refugees or internally displaced. Among these countries, Turkey is the largest host country for Syrian refugees and provides international protection to nearly foue million people who fled the neighboring country.
