“In the next two years [Portugal will contribute] around 25 million euros, which is a quite significant effort in the current Portuguese budget situation,” the minister told Lusa, in a reference to the fact that the country exited a Euro Zone bailout in mid-2014 and is still heavily indebted.
According to the minister, the funds are to be disbursed this year and next, with €24 million to be made available as part of the European Union action to help Turkey cope with the flow of refugees, and a further €1 million through “other institutions aiding Syria.”
Still, the minister stressed, money is just one of various instruments that are needed to respond to the emergency. He cited also the Global Platform for Syrian Students set up by a former president of Portugal, Jorge Sampaio, to which he plans to refer in his speech to the conference.
The platform aims to help young Syrians whose studies have been interrupted to resume them elsewhere. In its two years in operation it has helped 150 students based in 10 countries, about half of whom resumed their studies in Portugal.
Portugal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs helps fund the platform, along with other foreign donors.
More than 70 government officials and other leaders including the secretary-general of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, are in London to discuss ways to raise $9 billion (€8 billion) to help the 18 million Syrian refugees affected by the war in their country, and to stem the flow of refugees. The event is being organised by the UN, UK, Kuwait, Norway and Germany.
Last year, an appeal made by the UN raised less than half of the $2.9 billion it called for.
Last Thursday, Germany pledged €2.3 billion and the UK €1.7 billion, and it is expected that the EU will contribute €2.2 billion.