Kristian Vigenin called for joint assistance to cope with the refugee wave
26 September 2013 News
Kristian Vigenin called for joint assistance from the EU and the international community to cope with the refugee wave to Bulgaria as a result of the Syrian crisis. The Minister of Foreign Affairs participated in the ministerial high-level meeting dedicated to the humanitarian aspects of the conflict in Syria. The meeting which was part of the accompanying events of the General Debate of the 68th Session of the UN in New York was organized by Kristalina Georgieva, EU Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Responseand Nasser Judeh, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Jordan.
In his statement, Minister Vigenin expressed the solidarity of Bulgaria with the efforts of Syrian neighboring countries to deal with the growing refugee wave. He stressed that Bulgaria also faces an unprecedented situation caused by the influx of Syrian refugees. Although the numbers can not be compared to that in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, for us it is a challenge we have not encountered yet, Vigenin said. He stressed that in accordance with its capabilities, Bulgaria has provided humanitarian assistance to the neighboring countries of Syria.
Despite the budgetary constraints, over € 300,000 have been allocated for this purpose. At the moment, we are forced to mobilize additional resources to deal with the situation on our own border, Minister Vigenin said. He called for joint support saying that Bulgaria would welcome any assistance from the EU and the international community.
Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva and the representatives of neighboring countries of Syria outlined in their statements the unprecedented dimensions of the humanitarian crisis, which has extremely negative and destabilizing effect on the region. It was emphasized that the number of Syrian refugees, seeking protection in these countries, have already exceeds two million. The participants called for provision of additional humanitarian assistance and development aid by the donor countries and the relevant international organizations. The general conclusion of the meeting was that all parties should pursue the main objective to alleviate the crisis situation, which, according to all predictions, will last longer than expected. According to the participants in the event, addressing the humanitarian crisis should be part of the overall political approach to the Syrian issue, under the auspices of the UN.
The event was attended by representatives of UN humanitarian organizations and agencies - UN High Commissioner for Refugees, UNICEF, WFP, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid and others.