The donation follows plans to welcome 15,000 Syrian refugees over five years.

The UAE has pledged a new donation of Dhs220 million to help the people of Syria.

Minister of state for food security Mariam Al Muhairi announced the donation while in Belgium this week for a conference on the future of Syria and the region, government news agency WAM reports.

She said the UAE had been one of the first countries to contribute in alleviating the suffering of the Syrian people. Since the beginning of the Syrian crisis seven years ago, the UAE has donated about Dhs3.23 billion in total.

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This money has gone towards supporting displaced people in Syria by providing relief and development assistance, as well as establishing the Syria Reconstruction Fund together with Germany and the United States.

The fund covers sectors like education, health, food, water, shelter and social services. It also supports Syria’s neighbouring countries that host large numbers of refugees.

Refugee camps set up and funded by the UAE are located in Northern Iraq, Jordan and Greece.

The UAE also announced in 2016 that it would welcome 15,000 Syrian refugees from 2017 to 2022.

“Ultimately, we must offer a source of hope for displaced persons that allows them to maintain dignity, return home, reintegrate themselves into their societies, and rebuild their countries and their lives,” minister of state for international cooperation Reem Al Hashemi said at the time.

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MAIN IMAGE: UNICEF/Romenzi