AFP, Brussels, 28 Oct 2013 – The European Commission on Monday said it would provide 85 million euros ($120 million) in humanitarian aid to help people caught up in Syria’s civil war.
The funds are part of a 400-million-euro pledge following a UN appeal made in June, which has proved difficult to finance amid problems with a European Union budget over-run.
Nearly half the money (40 million euros) is to go on UNICEF-led health and education programmes in Syria , another 40 million euros will go towards helping some 500, 000 Syria n refugees in Jordan. The remaining five million euros will allow Syria n students to follow Erasmus degrees at European universities.
The EU says it has so far mobilised 9.1 billion euros in relief aid since the Syria n crisis began in March 2011.
It says five million Syria ns are internally displaced, with another two million having fled the country.