LONDON — China will donate 10,000 tonnes of food to help ease the food shortages among Syria refugees, Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced in London on Feb 4.
Speaking at the Supporting Syria and the Region conference in London, Wang said China endorses this conference aimed at increasing humanitarian assistance to Syria, and hopes the gathering can make new efforts to realize peace and stability in Syria and help ease the humanitarian situation.
Solving the humanitarian problems in Syria, Wang said, necessitates not only emergency aid, but also needs to eliminate their root causes.
Currently, the most urgent task is to ensure the basic living conditions of the Syrian refugees and the displaced people, Wang noted.
Different parties in Syria should implement relevant UN resolutions and provide humanitarian access to those in need and ensure the swift delivery of humanitarian supplies, said the Chinese foreign minister.
Different countries should also lend a helping hand and provide emergency aid to Syria and its neighboring countries that have sheltered Syrian refugees, and take action to help the refugees find jobs and help the children receive necessary education, he said.
The UN should sum up its experience, design a comprehensive roadmap and mobilize resources globally to cope with the situation, the diplomat suggested.
Wang stressed that the international community should also step up efforts to seek a political solution to the Syria conflict, which is the ultimate way of solving the country’s humanitarian crisis.
The resumption of peace talks is a key part of this political process in Syria, and the warring parties should give priority to the overall interests of their country and their people, and seize the opportunity of peace talks to show their goodwill and sincerity, Wang continued.
The foreign minister said China has been providing humanitarian assistance to Syria and the region through various channels.
At the G20 summit last year, President Xi Jinping announced an additional $100 million humanitarian assistance to help improve the living conditions of the refugees and the displaced people.
Xi, during a visit to the Middle East last month, also promised 230 million yuan of additional humanitarian assistance this year to the people of Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya and Yemen.
China will further donate 10,000 tonnes of food to help ease the food shortages among Syria refugees, Wang announced on Feb 4.
China will continue to offer its help to the Syrian people and the refugees, and make positive contributions to alleviate the humanitarian crisis, and play a constructive role in facilitating a political solution to the Syrian crisis, he said.
Britain, Germany, Kuwait, Norway, and the United Nations co-hosted the Supporting Syria and the Region in London on Feb 4 to raise significant new funding to meet the immediate and longer-term needs of those affected.