BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany said on Monday it would back 60 million euros ($62.70 million) worth of projects in Syria to boost education, women’s rights and other areas in the aftermath of the overthrow of president Bashar al-Assad.
Development Minister Svenja Schulze said a “historic window” had opened since rebels seized control of Damascus on Dec. 8, forcing Assad to flee after more than 13 years of civil war and ending his family’s decades-long rule.
“What will happen next has not yet been decided. But the opportunity for positive development is there and we should now do everything we can to support it,” she said in a statement.
Around half the projects were focused on education with 25 million euros going to the U.N. children’s agency UNICEF, and 6 million euros for aid group Arche Nova, which runs schools for about 3,000 children.
“We have clearly formulated our expectations: an education system free of ideology, discrimination and exclusion,” Schulze said in the statement.
Another 19 million euros will go to the United Nations development agency UNDP, Syrian NGOs will get 7 million euros, and 3 million euros will go to a special U.N. fund supporting Syrian women’s groups, the statement said.
All projects would be run through non-governmental organisations and U.N. aid agencies, not Syria’s new authorities, the ministry added.
($1 = 0.9569 euros)
(Reporting by Miranda Murray; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
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