Germany is to provide an additional €50 million ($51 million) in humanitarian aid for Syria, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Sunday on the sidelines of an international conference in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh.
The money, to be disbursed to the UN World Food Programme and various non-governmental organizations, is to be used for food, emergency shelter and medical care, she said.
Baerbock also discussed the prospect of easing some sanctions against Syria.
Sanctions against members of the regime of ousted former Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad, who committed serious crimes during the civil war, would have to be maintained, she said.
But the German government is proposing a “smart approach” to the European Union to support the Syrian population quickly, ensuring that there is food to eat and more electricity every day so that reconstruction can begin, she said.
“All of this promotes stability and ensures a peaceful transfer of power,” Baerbock said.
In addition to Baerbock, participants in the conference include foreign ministers from Arab states, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, British Foreign Minister David Lammy and the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
Among other topics, they are discussing the political process for the lasting stabilization of Syria, the humanitarian situation and the country’s reconstruction.
