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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 13 March 2019

Aid groups appeal for Syria funds as donors head to Brussels

By LORNE COOK Beyond providing aid, the
BRUSSELS (AP) — Aid orga- European Union — the
nizations appealed Tues- world's biggest donor and
day for funds to help Syria host of Thursday's confer-
recover from an eight-year ence — refuses to help re-
war that has driven almost build the country until a po-
6 million people out of the litical settlement has been
country, as donors from reached.
nearly 85 countries readied "It's a message of 'you broke
for a pledging conference it, you own it,'" said Jean-
in Brussels. Christophe Belliard, deputy
Agencies, non-govern- secretary general of the
mental organizations, and EU's External Action Service
think tanks say the con- — essentially the bloc's for-
flict, which has killed more eign office — in reference
than 400,000 people and to Syrian President Bashar
sparked a refugee exodus Assad and his backers.
that destabilized Syria's The EU is hoping that the
neighbors and hit Europe, meeting can give impetus
is far from over. Around 80 to stalled peace moves un-
percent of people inside der U.N. auspices, on top of
the country live in extreme gathering humanitarian aid
poverty and refugees are for Syria and for neighbors
reluctant to return, fearing hosting refugees like Tur-
violence, conscription or People take photographs of an installation featuring a drawing by a Syrian girl placed by "Save key, Lebanon and Jordan.
prison. the Children" NGO outside the European Commission and Council headquarters ahead of the But some NGOs believe
"Syrian refugees need trust Syria donors conference in Brussels, Tuesday, March 12, 2019. that its stance over rebuild-
that their return will be safe, Associated Press ing can be a serious obsta-
secure and dignified," UN cle to genuine aid efforts.
High Commissioner for Ref- 100,000 people have been air and ground in recent lion have been displaced "All too often that recon-
ugees Filippo Grandi said displaced since the last weeks. It estimated that inside Syria and some 2 struction line is limiting what
during a weekend visit to wave of violence began some 140 people, including million children are out of in every other aid context in
Lebanon, which is strug- in mid-February, includ- 69 civilians, were killed over school. the world is considered best
gling to cope with arrivals ing tens of thousands from three weeks. But donor fatigue is grow- practice in terms of how to
from over the border. Khan Sheikhoun in north- As the conflict enters its ing: Of around 3.5 billion provide humanitarian aid,"
According to the Britain- west Syria, which has been ninth year, about 11.7 mil- euros ($3.9 billion) pledged said Matthew Hemsley, Ox-
based Syrian Observatory repeatedly hit by gov- lion Syrians still depend last year, only around two fam's Syria policy and com-
for Human Rights, some ernment forces from the on aid, more than 6 mil- thirds were funded. munications adviser.q

Iraqi on trial in Germany over murder,

rape of 14-year-old

Associated Press cants in Germany after the months previously, that
BERLIN (AP) — A rejected killing, and he was later ex- they had often spent time
Iraqi asylum-seeker admit- tradited from Iraq. together and he hadn't
ted killing a 14-year-old lo- The defendant admitted to known how old she was.
cal girl as he went on trial the Wiesbaden state court There are no formal pleas in
in Germany Tuesday in a as his trial opened that he the German legal system.
case that fueled tensions killed the girl, news agency The trial is scheduled to last
over migration. He denied dpa reported. at least until early May.
raping her. "I don't know how this could Bashar is believed to have
The 22-year-old Ali Bashar is happen," he said through arrived in Germany in Oc-
accused of assaulting and an interpreter. He said that tober 2015, at the height
murdering Susanna Feld- they had had consensual of the migrant influx to the
man in the western city of sex before the killing. country, and was appeal-
Wiesbaden in May. Bashar Bashar said he had met ing the rejection of his asy-
and his family abruptly left the girl through a mutual lum application at the time
a home for asylum appli- acquaintance about three of the killing.q