European Union humanitarian aid for Palestinian refugees in Syria

A delegation from the European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO) is visiting Syria on February 1 - 3 in order to discuss the implementation of new assistance programs for the Palestinian refugees.

Talks will be held with the Syrian government, UNRWA, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, the International Federation of Red Cross/ Red Crescent Societies and the Italian NGO Movimondo Molisv.

The delegation will visit a Palestinian hospital in Yarmouk, Damascus and a refugee camp in Homs. Apart from its member states' bilateral contribution, the European Union is the largest provider of assistance to the Palestinian population with some EURO 625 million committed since 1994 (of which EURO 441 million came in grants) and a further EURO 400 million pledged for the period 1999-2003.

In addition, the EU is the biggest provider of financing to the UNRWA budget with a contribution of EURO 169 million for the period 1994 - 1998 concerning Palestinian refugees, in addition to its contribution to UNRWA, which provides assistance to refugees in Syria, the EU has so far concentrated its own operations in Jordan, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories. It is now extending them to Syria.

Assistance is provided through the ECHO and covers items such as construction and equipment of dispensaries and hospitals, medicines, rehabilitation of handicapped persons, training of medical personnel, and sanitation work in refugee camps.

ECHO is the European Commission service in charge of implementing the EU's humanitarian assistance programs worldwide, ranging from disaster assistance to long-term rehabilitation efforts. Total financial commitments from ECHO were worth an average of EURO 650 million per year since 1994.