The federal government allocates 100,000 euros to Music For Life, the annual solidarity action of the Studio Brussel radio station. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Development Cooperation Alexander De Croo announced this in Boom. This contribution is in line with the humanitarian efforts of our country in and around Syria and goes to the NGOs Doctors of the World and Red Cross Flanders.
"With the ‘Warmste Week’ of Music for Life, a new glow floats across Flanders. Once again, the federal government is also making a contribution. This year we support two organisations committed to humanitarian aid to refugees in and around Syria. Millions of people are fleeing the brutality and violence of war. Through their international network, organisations such as Doctors of the World and Red Cross - Flanders International are active on the ground, often in dangerous conditions. This represents a crucial contribution to the humanitarian aid that makes a difference between life and death for thousands of people. Our support is part of the wider humanitarian aid to the Syrian region, which amounts to more than 120 million euros this year," said Alexander De Croo.
Doctors of the World is an international medical non-governmental organisation (NGO) that not only provides medical care but also denounces violations against human dignity and human rights. Doctors of the World has been active in Syria since October 2012. The organisation operates in four fixed clinics and two mobile teams in the northern region of Idlib. In Jordan and Lebanon, and even in Belgium, Doctors of the World supports medical centres and mobile clinics where refugees can enjoy medical care and thus exercise their right to health.
"We thank Minister De Croo, the federal government, and by extension, the Belgian population for this warm and generous contribution. The money will be used entirely for the purchase of medicines for the Syrian population. We call on the international community to protect the Syrian citizens in every possible way against the war crimes committed every day, "said Jelle Boone, spokesperson for Doctors of the World.
Red Cross - Flanders is active in Syria via the Syrian Red Crescent Society, its sister organisation. With 10,000 active volunteers, this is the largest local humanitarian organisation in Syria and the only one to have access to the most heavily affected areas such as eastern Aleppo. These volunteers are present on a daily basis during evacuations and humanitarian convoys across the front lines. They do so at the peril of their lives: since the beginning of the conflict, more than 50 Syrian Red Crescent volunteers have lost their lives. Yet, the organisation continues to provide vital assistance to the Syrian people. Every month, they provide 4.5 million citizens with medical care, drinking water and food, humanitarian goods, such as tents and blankets.
"The Syrian Red Crescent volunteers are at the heart of the community, they know it from before, during, and after the conflict. As in Flanders, these volunteers are ready to help the Syrian people as much as possible, according to the same principles and with the same quality, "said Philippe Vandekerckhove, Managing Director of the Red Cross of Flanders.
Highest humanitarian financing ever
This year our country has made available a total of 235 million euros in humanitarian funds, a record amount. More than half of these funds have been allocated to emergency aid in and around Syria. Some 65 million euros of Belgian humanitarian funding were given to the emergency relief fund of the United Nations (OCHA), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and directly to UN agencies such as the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), the World Food Programme (WFP), the UN children's fund UNICEF and the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). In addition, our country also allocated 58 million euros to the EU refugee facility for Turkey, for education, housing, integration, language lessons and promotion of socio-economic opportunities for refugees in Turkey.