BRUSSELS/STOCKHOLM – Donors at a European Union-led conference pledged €7 billion ($7.5 billion) to help to rebuild Turkey and Syria after last month’s devastating earthquakes.
The February 6 earthquakes were the worst natural disaster to strike modern-day Turkey with more than 56,000 people killed in Turkey and neighboring Syria.
“Today, a total of €7 billion were pledged by the international community at the ‘Together for the people of Türkiye and Syria’ International Donors’ Conference, co-hosted by the President of the European Union, Ursula von der Leyen, and by the Prime Minister of Sweden, Ulf Kristersson, for the Swedish Presidency of the Council,” the EU Commission said on its website.
More than 60 delegations from the European Union, its Member States and partners, including the UN, international and European financial institutions such as the EIB and the EBRD, and other relevant stakeholders met in Brussels to mobilize support for the people in Türkiye and Syria after the devastating earthquakes of February 2023 and to coordinate the response in the affected areas in both countries.
The pledging session was chaired by Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi and Swedish Minister for International Development Co-operation and Foreign Trade Johan Forssell. Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič gave an address on earthquakes’ impact and immediate emergency response in Türkiye and Syria.
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said: “Today is a very good day for international solidarity. Together with our partners, we have raised €7 billion in total to support the people in Türkiye and Syria, following the devastating earthquakes. More than half of this pledge comes from Team Europe. We have shown to the world that we are supporting those in need. And we always stand by our partners.”
Prime Minister of Sweden, Ulf Kristersson said: “Today’s meeting had one important goal: to turn our words of condolences and solidarity into action. And provide a strong, efficient, and coordinated response to help the people affected by the devastating earthquakes. For the Swedish EU Presidency, we are grateful for the good cooperation with the Commission in arranging today’s conference, and very impressed by the substantial results today, and humbled by the important work.”
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