Overview

• German Development Minister Svenja Schulze visited Damascus to evaluate humanitarian aid projects in the war-torn country following the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
• Schulze announced €60 million in aid, focusing on education, psychosocial support, and job creation, implemented through UN agencies and NGOs rather than the new Islamist-led transitional government.
• Syria's transitional government, led by Ahmed al-Scharaa, emphasized that there is no immediate need for Syrian refugees in Germany to return, citing safety and better living conditions abroad.
• Ongoing challenges in Syria include widespread poverty, destroyed infrastructure, and limited access to electricity, healthcare, and education, with 90% of the population in need of assistance.
• German officials, including Schulze and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, stressed the importance of inclusive governance and safeguarding minority rights as prerequisites for lifting sanctions and further engagement.