In October, the Irish government made a contribution of €5 million ($5.55 million) to the Turkey Refugee Facility for victims of the Syrian civil war. Following a subsequent meeting with E.U. Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management commissioner Christos Stylianides, Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Charlie Flanagan announced that another €2.5 million ($2.78 million) would be given to the cause.
“Commissioner Stylianides provided me with a very comprehensive update on the humanitarian situation in Syria,” Flanagan (left) said after the meeting. He added that these specific funds, to be distributed by the U.N. and Red Cross, will “enhance Ireland’s contribution to meeting the challenges the people of Syria face in accessing food, water, and healthcare.”
This contribution will bring Ireland’s total funding of Syrian refugee aid to over €62 million ($68.88 million) since 2012. Last year, the country spent over €142 million ($157.77 million) on humanitarian aid across the globe.
“Every evening on our television screens, we see the human toll which the unprecedented number and scale of humanitarian crises is taking,” Flanagan said. “There is an onus on all of the international community to do what we can to help alleviate this human suffering, and Ireland will continue to play its part.” ♦
Irish Government Funds Aid for Syria
Leave a Reply