Switzerland pledges CHF 60 million more in humanitarian aid for crisis in Syria

Twelve years after the conflict broke out, humanitarian needs in Syria are greater than ever. At the Seventh Brussels Conference on ‘Supporting the future of Syria and the region’ on 15 June 2023, Switzerland announced CHF 60 million in support for the affected population this year.

This Swiss support will help to protect the conflict-affected population in Syria and the region and to meet their extensive humanitarian needs. The amount supplements the CHF 8.5 million allocated in March for relief measures in the aftermath of the earthquakes of 6 February 2023. It is a continuation of Switzerland’s long-standing commitment to Syria and the region.

The Seventh Brussels Conference on ‘Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region’ was organized by the European Union.

The ongoing humanitarian crisis with devastating effects

Through its humanitarian, needs-based engagement in Syria, Switzerland supports partners throughout Syria regardless of which party to the conflict controls the given area. The Swiss portfolio includes emergency aid projects as well as those aimed at protecting civilians and strengthening the resilience of the population.

The scale of humanitarian needs is enormous: 15.3 million people are dependent on humanitarian aid in Syria alone. In 2022, this figure was 14.6 million. There are more internally displaced persons in Syria than in any other country: 6.8 million. And the over 5.4 million Syrian refugees in the countries of the region also need support. In neighboring countries (Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Türkiye), Switzerland supports both refugees and the local population.

Switzerland’s wide-ranging commitment

Beyond its humanitarian work, Switzerland is actively engaged in the search for a political solution to the conflict – in particular as the host of the UN peace process, a facilitator of civil society involvement, and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. Furthermore, it is committed to upholding and promoting international humanitarian law and human rights, and to fighting impunity. Switzerland has also been working with victims’ organizations for years in order to help tackle the issue of missing persons from a humanitarian standpoint. Switzerland also works to promote stability in Syria and the region.

Since 1 January 2023, Switzerland and Brazil have been co-penholders of the UN Security Council’s humanitarian dossier on Syria. In this capacity, Switzerland actively contributes to the Council’s decision-making on Syria-related humanitarian issues.