"The majority of refugees have not yet returned"
Welthungerhilfe: Demands for the third international donor conference on Syria
Bonn, 11/03/2019 Syria has been racked for eight years by a bloody civil war that has destroyed the country and forced millions of people to leave their homeland. 6.2 million Syrians are internally displaced and 5.6 million are living as refugees in neighbouring countries, including 3.6 million in Turkey. The third EU and UN international donor conference will start tomorrow in Brussels, dealing with the situation in Syria and neighbouring countries. Welthungerhilfe calls on participants not to let up in their support for refugees in Syria and neighbouring countries.
Many refugees are living in neighbouring countries under very difficult circumstances. When the war began eight years ago they were welcomed as guests - now they often represent competition in the labour and housing markets. We need more measures for improved integration of refugees in neighbouring countries, in the school system and the labour market, as there are no prospects, particularly for young people. Only few have returned to Syria so far. Even if the fighting ended tomorrow, people will still need support over the coming years. The country has been destroyed during eight years of war. The international community must continue providing support for neighbouring countries and assistance for displaced people in Syria", demands Mathias Mogge, General Secretary of Welthungerhilfe.
Welthungerhilfe is one of the largest private aid organisations in Germany; politically independent and non - denominational. It is fighting for “Zero Hunger by 2030”. Since it was founded in 1962, more than 8,900 overseas projects in 70 countries have been supported with 3.27 billion euros. Welthungerhilfe works on the principle of empowering people to help themselves: from rapid disaster relief to reconstruction and long - term development cooperation projects with national and international partner organisations.
