The EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis adopted new projects on June 20 totalling €275 million. These projects will support refugees and their overstretched host communities in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, the Western Balkans, and Armenia, “Armenpress” was informed from the press service of the European Commission.
Projects will focus on education, health care, support of local community, social inclusion, gender equality. The newly adopted assistance package brings the current overall volume of the EU Trust Fund up to over €1 billion which was the goal set by President Juncker on 23 September 2015 at the Informal meeting of the European Council on migration and in the Communication on Managing the Refugee Crisis.
The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice­President of the Commission, Federica Mogherini said: “We are giving a lifeline to millions of Syrians inside the country and across the region, helping create a future for Syrian refugees and host communities. By enabling girls and boys to access quality education, we are helping to prevent a lost generation of children whose lives have been devastated by the Syrian conflict. It is a moral duty, and it is also the smartest investment we can do in the security, stability and prosperity of our own region. So, ultimately, it is an investment in our own future.”
The new €275 million aid package focusses on better access to livelihoods, healthcare, education and protection services. €3 million out of the €275 million will be allocated to Armenia to support Syrian refugees by enhancing access to health and psychosocial services, improving housing conditions, increasing access to economic opportunities, and by facilitating the integration of schoolchildren and students.
According to the data of the Ministry of Diaspora of Armenia, Armenia has received 22 thousand Syrian refugees since the outbreak of the war in Syria.