EU and UN Virtual Conference Promises $4.4 Billion for Syria Aid, Far From Goals

At a two-day virtual event organized by the EU and the United Nations, European Commissioner Janez Lenarcic said aid promises total 4,4 milliards de dollars for 2021, 2 milliards for 2022 and the years that follow, far from the stated goals.

Heiko Maas told the conference: "La tragédie syrienne ne doit pas durer encore dix ans. Y mettre un terme commence par rendre l'espoir, et ça commence avec nos engagements, ici aujourd'hui".

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The UN called for donations of at least 10 milliards de dollars for the year in progress, and said 24 millions de personnes need support in Syria and the region, 4 millions more than last year.

The VOA Afrique report said the fifth edition of the "Conférence de Bruxelles pour la Syrie" aims to support neighboring countries including Liban, Jordanie, Turquie, Irak, and Egypte that have hosted 80% of Syrian refugees, and that the financial aid is meant to facilitate access to education for refugee children.

At the 32e réunion annuelle of the Arab League in Arabie saoudite, the Syrian president Bachar al-Assad attended his first summit since more than a decade, after the organization excluded the regime in 2011 and then reintegrated it on 7 mai dernier.

Saudi Arabia’s prince héritier Mohammed ben Salmane said at the opening: "Nous sommes heureux d’accueillir le président Bachar al-Assad à ce sommet", hoping that the reintegration would bring "la stabilité " in Syria.

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The Express reported that the summit began with an invited surprise, Volodomyr Zelensky, who accused some leaders of "fermer les yeux" on the Russian invasion.

In parallel, the VOA Afrique report said the United States urged the UN Security Council to reopen humanitarian access points to Syrian borders closed in 2020 under Russian pressure, and quoted Antony Blinken: "Regardez dans vos coeurs".

France’s Élysée said Emmanuel Macron would convene a Defense Council on the international situation, with Syria on the agenda after a ceasefire agreement signed on Sunday provided for the integration of powerful Kurdish forces into the Syrian state.

Sud Ouest reported that France welcomed the agreement Monday, lending support to "unity and integrity" of Syria while saying it was "faithful to its Kurdish allies," in the fight against Daesh.

France 24 said Syria marked the 14th anniversary of the 2011 uprising on Saturday March 15 for the first time since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, with rallies in Damascus under a heavy police presence in Umayyad Square.

In a separate political development, Al-Jazeera Net said the Syrian People’s Council announced that the list of President أحمد الشرع, comprising 70 names, would be tomorrow, Wednesday, July 1, 2026, completing the first Syrian parliament after the fall of the Assad regime.