Germany Announces $62 Million in Support for Syrian Education and Women's Rights
Germany has pledged $62.7 million (€60 million) in funding for projects in Syria to support education and women’s rights following the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad. Development Minister Svenja Schulze emphasized the “historic window of opportunity,” that opened after rebels seized control of Damascus on December 8, ending Assad’s 13-year-long rule and his family’s decades-long regime. Schulze stated, “What happens next is yet to be decided. But the opportunity for positive development is here, and we must do everything we can to support it.”
Half of the pledged funds will focus on education, with €25 million allocated to UNICEF and €6 million to aid organization Arche Nova, which operates schools for approximately 3,000 children. Schulze underscored Germany’s expectations for an education system “free of ideology, discrimination, and exclusion.”
Additionally, €19 million will go to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), €7 million to Syrian NGOs, and €3 million to a dedicated UN fund supporting Syrian women’s groups. All projects will be implemented through non-governmental organizations and UN agencies rather than Syria’s new authorities, according to the ministry.
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