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.