Qatar pledges $50 million to war-ravaged Syrians

DOHA, Qatar (AA) - Qatar on Tuesday pledged $50 million to support the Syrian people during a conference held in Brussels on Syria’s future.

The two-day event was organized by the EU on May 9 and 10 to provide support to the Syrian people and back efforts to reach a political solution to the 11-year conflict in Syria.

In a speech at the conference, Assistant Foreign Minister for Regional Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi reiterated Qatar’s firm position of supporting international efforts aimed at ending the Syrian crisis.

Last year, international donors pledged $4.4 billion in humanitarian aid to Syrians inside the war-torn country, refugees, and host communities in neighboring countries.

Syria has been in civil war since early 2011 when the Bashar al-Assad regime violently cracked down on pro-democracy protests.

Over 400,000 people were killed, and more than 12 million fled their homes to become refugees or internally displaced over the past 11 years, according to the EU.

*Writing by Bassel Barakat in Ankara