Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
At 1:30 pm, Ursula von der Leyen will deliver the opening speech at the conference, which is being hosted by Brussels today, under the title "Together to help the Syrian and Turkish peoples through an international conference for donations." A statement issued by the headquarters of the European Union's executive body in Brussels regarding the agenda of the conference, and it included the names of a number of speakers, among them
A video speech by the President of the Republic of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, followed by an intervention on the impact of earthquakes and the vision of recovery, addressing the impact and the immediate response in Turkey and Syria.
European Commissioner Yaniz Linari
Then a speech by Achim Steiner, Under-Secretary-General and the United Nations Development Program and then the presentation by El-Mustafa Benemleih, the United Nations Resident Coordinator and Acting Humanitarian Coordinator. Then a special session will be held to announce the pledges of the delegations
According to a source from the institutions of the European Union in Brussels, the European Union and its member states intend to make a major pledge for more relief, recovery and reconstruction in Turkey and more relief, recovery and rehabilitation in Syria. The European Union calls on other international partners and global donors to show solidarity with the people in Turkey and Syria in these difficult circumstances by mobilizing pledges in line with the scale and severity of the damage. The donor conference will be open to EU member states, candidate and potential candidates, neighboring and partner countries, members of the G20 - with the exception of Russia - and member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council, as well as the United Nations, international organizations, humanitarian actors, international and European financial institutions.
President Ursula von der Leyen said, “Six weeks after the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, we gather to support the survivors of this tragedy. Our solidarity remains as strong as it was in the first hours after the earthquake. People in Turkey and Syria must know that we are with them for the long haul. I call on all nations and all donors, public and private, to contribute and honor the memory of those who lost their lives, honor the heroism of first responders, and most importantly, build a better future for survivors together.”
“The earthquakes in Turkey and Syria are a catastrophe of historic proportions,” said Ulf Kristersson, Prime Minister of Sweden. “I am saddened by the loss of life and homes, and the human suffering, the consequences are truly horrific. As President of the Council of the European Union, Sweden will do all we can, Together with the European Union and international partners, to assist those affected in the next stages of rehabilitation and early recovery.”

In the aftermath of the February 6 earthquake, the EU immediately sent support, such as search and rescue teams, medical teams, shelter and medicines through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. We also quickly allocated humanitarian assistance to affected people in both countries, as well as mobilizing EU emergency stocks through the European Humanitarian Response Capacity and European Rescue Unit.
In total, nearly €12 million of EU humanitarian aid has been allocated to respond to the urgent needs of the population in Turkey, and nearly €10 million has been immediately mobilized to respond to the immediate impacts of the earthquake in Syria.
Also, 1,750 rescue workers and 111 search dogs have been deployed via the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism to support search and rescue operations in Turkey. The European Union is providing support to the Syrian people affected by the earthquake in both Government-controlled and non-Government-controlled areas. 6 flights have been organized across the European Humanitarian Response Capacity, and have already flown much needed assistance, from EU stocks in Dubai and Brindisi, to both northwest Syria and government-held areas. .
In addition to the international donors' conference, the European Union will host on 14-15 June the 7th Brussels Conference on the future of Syria and the region. The aim of the June conference will be to focus international engagement on a political solution to the conflict, and to generate pledges of humanitarian support for Syria and support for Syrian refugees and their host communities in the region as a whole. The European Union and its Member States have been the largest donors supporting people in Syria and the region since the beginning of the crisis in 2011.