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International donors at a European Union-led conference in Brussels pledged €5.8 billion ($6.3 billion) on Monday to support Syria’s new authorities, who are grappling with humanitarian and security crises following the fall of Bashar al-Assad.
The pledges fell short of last year’s €7.5 billion, with EU officials blaming cuts in U.S. aid as a key reason. European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib acknowledged that while the EU remains committed to Syria’s recovery, “we can’t fill the gap left by others.”
The Brussels conference has been held annually since 2017, with Assad’s government excluded due to its role in the civil war. However, in a significant shift, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani attended this year’s gathering alongside European and Arab ministers.
EU officials are treating Assad’s overthrow in December as an opportunity for a fresh start, though deadly clashes this month between the new Islamist rulers and Assad loyalists have raised concerns about stability.
“This is a time of dire needs and challenges for Syria, as tragically evidenced by the recent wave of violence in coastal areas,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said. However, she also pointed to signs of progress, citing a March 10 agreement to integrate the Kurdish-led and U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into state institutions.
The EU estimates that 16.5 million Syrians require humanitarian aid, with 12.9 million in need of food assistance. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the EU would increase its pledge to nearly €2.5 billion ($2.7 billion) for 2025 and 2026, including an additional €160 million for this year.
Shibani welcomed the pledges, calling Syria’s reconstruction a “joint effort and a global partnership” in a post on X.
U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pederson noted that the decline in funding was driven by global competition for aid, citing conflicts in Sudan, Gaza, and Ukraine. “Even without this month’s violence, the funding would have been less than in previous years,” he told Reuters.
Syria’s economic crisis has deepened, with the Syrian pound in freefall and nearly the entire population living in poverty. The country has lost four decades of development due to the war, and it will take at least a decade to return to pre-conflict levels, said Achim Steiner, head of the U.N. Development Programme.
Despite concerns over the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which ousted Assad and is designated a terrorist organisation by the U.N., EU officials remain open to engagement—provided the group follows through on pledges for an inclusive and peaceful transition.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
At least eight people have died and more than 90 others were injured following a catastrophic gas tanker explosion on a major highway in Mexico City’s Iztapalapa district on Wednesday, authorities confirmed.
Venezuela will launch a large-scale, three-day military exercise near La Orchila island, involving thousands of troops, naval vessels, aircraft, and drones, amid heightened tensions with the United States over a recent maritime incident.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump are expected to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit next month in South Korea.
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have formalised a mutual defence agreement, reinforcing a decades-long security partnership, Pakistani state television reported on Wednesday.
Britain’s King Charles and U.S. President Donald Trump celebrated the enduring “special relationship” between their countries during a state banquet at Windsor Castle on Wednesday.
Three police officers have been fatally shot in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, with two reported to be in grave condition and another in critical care.
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