EU and Member States Convene to Review Progress and Results of the EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis

Today, representatives from the European Commission, members of the European Parliament, delegates from 21 EU Member States, along with the United Kingdom, Türkiye, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government, convened in Brussels, to attend the 13th Trust Fund Board and the 15th Operational Board meeting, serving as the governing entities for the EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis (EUTF Syria), commonly referred to as the "Madad Fund."

The event, chaired by Gerhard Krause, Deputy Head of the Middle East Unit at the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR), provided attendees with an opportunity to engage in discussions and gain insights about the status of implementation and the results attained thus far.

In his opening speech, Mr. Krause remarked, “The conflict in Syria has entered its 13th year and has persistently contributed to one of the world's largest refugee crises. As the global response to the Syrian crisis, the EUTF Syria made a difference in the lives of more than 10 million people, including Syrian refugees and their host communities. Building upon such positive results, the EU and its partners will continue to work hand in hand to addressing the needs of all those impacted by the Syrian crisis."

Since its inception in December 2014, the EUTF Syria has funded 129 pivotal actions, primarily in Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Türkiye, with a total allocation of €2.38 billion euros.

This contribution has played a crucial role in enhancing access to essential services across seven sectors, notably Basic and Higher Education, Health, Livelihoods, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Protection and Social Protection. Key results for refugees, their host communities and Internally Displaced People include:

Over 10 million individuals gained access to improved basic services;
Over 5,6 million people received quality healthcare;
Over 800,000 children and young adults enrolled in school and education programs;
Over 12,000 local facilities (including schools, hospitals and clinics, water facilities, shelters, etc.) across all targeted countries were upgraded, reconstructed and/or newly built.

Background

Since it began in 2011, the war in Syria continues to fuel one of the world’s largest refugee crises. More than 6 million Syrians are internally displaced (IDPs), while over 5 million fled their homes to seek refuge in other countries, with the vast majority living as refugees in Syria’s neighbourhood, primarily in Türkiye (63.2%), Lebanon (15.2%), Jordan (12.6%) and Iraq (5.2%) [source: UNHCR 2023].

The EUTF Syria - Madad has been the key instrument for delivering the pledges made by the EU at the London conference on Syria in 2016. It has evolved with the priorities of the ensuing Brussels I-VI conferences on the Future of Syria and the Region, aimed at ensuring continued support to the Syrian people, in line with the UN Security Council Resolution 2254. The Brussels Conferences took place: in April 2017 and 2018, March 2019, June 2020, March 2021, in May 2022 and in June 2023.

The Trust Fund stopped contracting new actions as of 14 December 2021, with several projects undergoing implementation until 14 June 2025.