UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi called on Germany and other countries to accelerate the reconstruction of Syria by increasing financial assistance, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
According to him, if timely action is not taken, the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland will fail. Grandi made the statement to the agency on the occasion of World Refugee Day, which is being observed today.
He said he planned to spend the day in Damascus and next week he would visit Berlin to urge the German government to increase humanitarian aid.
“If the reconstruction of Syria has to wait another six months or a year, we will miss an opportunity“, Grandi warned. “People will lose confidence that they are returning to a stable and safe place“, he added.
Since December last year, after the fall of the government of then-Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, many German politicians have been calling for the early return of Syrian refugees. Grandi, however, stressed that conditions in the country still do not allow survival for many of the returnees.
He made three main recommendations to Germany and other countries:
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Continue humanitarian support, including food, financial aid and medical services.
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Launch programs to rebuild infrastructure and stimulate the economy.
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Easing or lifting sanctions so that the private sector can work again.
Grandi also expressed concern about the significant decline in development aid from the United States and other Western countries, warning of negative consequences.
“You cannot cut humanitarian and development aid in regions close to Europe – such as West Africa, Sudan, the Middle East and Ukraine – and at the same time expect that people will not try to reach Europe,“ he stressed.