Dobesedni zapisi razprav

Torek, 16. december 2014 - Strasbourg

15. Pomanjkanje sredstev za program pomoči sirskim beguncem v okviru Svetovnega programa za hrano (razprava)

  Der Präsident. – Als nächster Punkt der Tagesordnung folgt die Aussprache über die Erklärungen des Rates und der Kommission betreffend den Finanzierungsengpass beim Hilfswerk des Welternährungsprogramms für syrische Flüchtlinge (2014/2996(RSP)).

  Benedetto Della Vedova, Presidente in carica del Consiglio. – Signor Presidente, onorevoli deputati, l'Unione europea è il maggior donatore mondiale di assistenza umanitaria e l'assistenza bilaterale degli Stati membri rappresenta una considerevole parte di tali sforzi. Gli Stati membri dell'Unione europea da soli hanno fornito quasi un miliardo e mezzo di euro di assistenza umanitaria dall'inizio della crisi siriana nel 2011. Questo si aggiunge ai 666 milioni di euro di aiuti umanitari provenienti dal bilancio dell'Unione europea e forniti dalla Commissione.

Come gli onorevoli deputati ben sanno, il Consiglio ha appena approvato, con il Parlamento, il bilancio rettificativo 2014, mettendo altri 214 milioni di euro a disposizione del bilancio per l'aiuto umanitario della Commissione per quest'anno. Larga parte di questo importo è utilizzato per la risposta dell'Unione europea alla crisi siriana. Questa è una dimostrazione chiara del nostro impegno a fornire aiuto umanitario a quanti ne hanno bisogno, segnatamente alle persone colpite dalla crisi siriana.

Ieri il Consiglio ha adottato conclusioni sulla situazione in Siria e abbiamo espresso la nostra grave preoccupazione per la drammatica carenza di finanziamenti in risposta agli appelli dell'ONU per il 2014, che ha determinato la sospensione temporanea dell'assistenza ai profughi siriani da parte del Programma alimentare mondiale – il World Food Programme – e abbiamo chiesto alla comunità internazionale di intensificare i finanziamenti in vista dell'inverno e in risposta ai prossimi appelli per il 2015. Ma non abbiamo soltanto chiesto agli altri, gli Stati membri sono stati tra i principali donatori che hanno reagito immediatamente all'appello d'urgenza del World Food Programme per quanto riguarda i finanziamenti per la Siria. A titolo di esempio, Paesi Bassi, la Germania, l'Irlanda e il Belgio hanno collettivamente contribuito per più di 14 milioni di dollari.

Unitamente al contributo della Commissione proveniente dal bilancio dell'Unione europea, questo porta la risposta collettiva dell'Unione europea a questo appello d'urgenza a più di 20 milioni di euro. Ci rallegriamo che così facendo si sia ora riusciti ad aiutare a colmare la carenza sperimentata dal World Food Programme e che l'assistenza alimentare di 1,7 milioni di profughi siriani possa riprendere come previsto. Rimane tragico il fatto che in una crisi della dimensione di quella siriana ci possano a malapena essere abbastanza fondi per rispondere a tutte le necessità degli sfollati all'interno del paese. Molti di coloro che hanno dovuto abbandonare la Siria, spesso l'hanno fatto portando con sé nient'altro che i vestiti che indossavano.

Ma noi possiamo certamente assicurarci di non aumentare le loro sofferenze. Ridurre l'assistenza alimentare nei confronti di coloro che hanno perso tutto è inaccettabile per il Consiglio e per gli Stati membri. Nell'ambito del Consiglio abbiamo coordinato molto attentamente, tra gli Stati membri ed anche con la Commissione, la risposta a questa crisi senza precedenti. Ci assicuriamo che non vi siano sovrapposizioni nella nostra risposta collettiva mentre cerchiamo di colmare, come meglio possiamo, le lacune del finanziamento globale.

In tale contesto permettetemi di sottolineare altresì che gli Stati membri dell'Unione europea sono uno dei principali donatori del World Food Programme. Anche prima del recente appello d'urgenza, gli Stati membri dell'Unione europea avevano versato al Programma alimentare mondiale più di 150 milioni di euro nel 2014, solo per la sua azione nel contesto della crisi siriana.

Signor Presidente, onorevoli deputati, riteniamo che il World Food Programme sia uno dei nostri principali partner esecutivi per la fornitura dell'assistenza umanitaria dell'Unione europea. Sia come Unione europea che come Stati membri, su base bilaterale abbiamo una lunga tradizione di collaborazione. Ci assicureremo pertanto, unitamente al Programma alimentare mondiale, che siano prese le misure opportune in termini sia di finanziamento che di pianificazione. Dobbiamo garantire che carenze come quella a cui abbiamo assistito non accadano più. Lo dobbiamo a tutte le persone cui cerchiamo di venire in aiuto, innanzitutto alle vittime innocenti della terribile guerra in Siria.

  Christos Stylianides, Member of the Commission. – Mr President, I am grateful for the opportunity to address this important issue today. There is no question but that the Syrian crisis is unprecedented. Both in terms of its humanitarian consequences and for its financial implications. An immediate reaction by international donors is a precondition for avoiding a further deterioration in the situation. A comprehensive response to the crisis cannot be built on our normal budgets. We must work together to make a strong EU response possible. We have a collective responsibility to find the means to achieve this goal.

The WFPʼs decision to cut back food assistance is a reminder of the overwhelming impact of the biggest humanitarian tragedy of our times. I want to underline that the EU as a whole is responding to the Syrian crisis needs. We are responding to the call by the WFP which has resumed its aid scheme to Syrian refugees.

I want to express my sincere appreciation for the broad support of this Parliament in this crisis. The European Union has led the international response to the Syrian crisis. We have provided more than EUR 3.1 billion. Of this, EUR 681 million has come from the Commission’s humanitarian budget, with EUR 120 million provided for WFPʼs operations in Syria and neighbouring countries.

The WFP is our second largest humanitarian partner after the UNHCR. We are fully committed to our partnership with the WFP. As a matter of urgency, we have allocated an additional EUR 5.5 million to the WFPʼs aid scheme for Syrian refugees. With this amount, our funding for 2014 is up to EUR 18 million, on top of the EUR 61 million allocated in December 2013. We will continue our efforts to mobilise additional resources.

It is no accident that a few days ago both the WFP and Valerie Amos from OCHA, who is very well known, expressed their appreciation to the EU for our generous humanitarian support. It is true that the WFP has by far the biggest needs in this crisis, estimated to reach USD 1.8 billion this year. This amount goes beyond the USD 1.6 billion needs of the UNHCR. The fact that approximately only 60% of these needs are matched with funding is a major problem. Unfortunately the WFP is only one of the many partners in desperate need of funding.

For this reason we have repeatedly warned the donor community that the gap between needs and funding is unfortunately not sustainable. Syria is the biggest crisis we face today but it is not the only crisis. Think of Iraq, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, etc. All of these crises have stretched humanitarian budgets beyond their limits. Certainly money will never be enough; therefore we need more cost-effective and more targeted operations from humanitarian partners. This also applies to the WFP.

This year we will finish with EUR 165 million in humanitarian assistance for the Syrian crisis. This is already less than half of the exceptional EUR 350 million we managed to mobilise in 2012. Next year our Commissionʼs initial humanitarian funding will be down to 100 million.

There will be additional money forthcoming soon. I will use all the leverage I have to achieve that. But my efforts alone, unfortunately, are not enough. We need strong collective action for next year. We expect needs of USD 7.2 billion for the Syrian crisis alone. This is a substantial increase compared to the record figure of USD 6 billion for this year.

The Syrian crisis will remain a top priority in the years to come. The whole region is feeling its impact. We have to find ways to increase funding and make it sustainable, otherwise it will be a short fix. We must adopt a long-term approach. We must continue honouring our pledges. It is not only our moral duty, it is also a question of life or death for millions of Syrian refugees.

As you know, a few days ago I came back from a joint mission with Vice-President Federica Mogherini and Commissioner Johannes Hahn to Turkey. There we also visited refugee camps along the Syrian border. The situation on the ground is overwhelming. Cuts in food assistance will be felt there first. It is our collective responsibility to stop this from happening. We must work together to avoid this situation.

At the end of the day, however, what is needed for the Syrian crisis is a political solution. UN Special Envoy de Mistura has our full support in this regard. It is a support reflected yesterday in the Foreign Affairs Council conclusions.

  Davor Ivo Stier, u ime kluba PPE. – Gospodine predsjedniče, u ove četiri godine koliko traje oružani konflikt u Siriji više smo puta u ovom domu čuli i naglašavali kako se radi o najvećoj humanitarnoj krizi s kojom se svijet danas suočava. 14 milijuna ljudi u Siriji hitno treba humanitarnu pomoć, a među njima 5 milijuna djece. Milijun i 700 000 izbjeglica u susjednim zemljama koristilo je svjetski program za hranu UN-a koji je na nekoliko dana u prosincu obustavio isporuke pomoći zbog nedostatka financijskih sredstava.

Ono što ohrabruje je činjenica da su sredstva u najkraćem mogućem roku prikupljena da bi svjetski program za hranu nastavio s radom. Također ohrabruje brza reakcija našeg povjerenika Christosa Stylianidesa koji je odmah najavio dodatnu financijsku pomoć za ovaj program. Važno je ovdje napomenuti da je EU u roku podmirila svoje obveze prema svjetskom programu za hranu jer je bilo raznih dezinformacija o dugovima prema tom programu UN-a. U ovom je slučaju Europska unija na vrijeme doznačila sredstva, ali i ovaj slučaj podcrtava važnost pravodobnog uplaćivanja obećanih sredstava u humanitarnoj pomoći. O tome ovise i u mnogim slučajevima ljudski životi.

No isto tako je potrebno pozvati i druge partnere u međunarodnoj zajednici da preuzmu veću odgovornost u financiranju humanitarne pomoći. Jasno je da je za rješavanje humanitarne krize u Siriji potrebno prvo se usredotočiti na uzroke sukoba i postići političko rješenje, ali u međuvremenu Europa i međunarodna zajednica ne smiju posustati u pružanju humanitarne pomoći.

  Norbert Neuser, im Namen der S&D-Fraktion. – Herr Präsident, Herr Kommissar, sehr geehrter Herr Minister! Alle Politiker wollen schnell ganz viel Hilfe für die syrischen Flüchtlinge. Aber trotzdem fehlt Geld. Das Welternährungsprogramm kann seinen Verpflichtungen nicht nachkommen. An Nahrungsmitteln wird gespart.

Das Pathos der Politiker ist eindeutig: Sie warnen vor Tod und Elend. Ich nenne ein Beispiel: die deutsche Bundesregierung – meine Partei gehört dieser Regierung an. Sie sagt, es ist eine Jahrhundertkatastrophe – Sie haben richtig gehört: Jahrhundertkatastrophe. Es regnet, dann kommt die Kälte, dann kommt der Tod. Es mangelt nicht an Mitgefühl und an Dramatik.

Aber was nützen Pathos und Dramatik, wenn wir die Nüchternheit der Zahlen sehen? Denn die nackten Zahlen sind eindeutig. Das Budget für humanitäre Hilfe schrumpft seit 2013 beständig, der Haushalt ist chronisch und mit Absicht von den Mitgliedstaaten unterfinanziert. Wir schieben unbezahlte Rechnungen vor uns her. Wir sollten – und ich sage das nicht, weil Weihnachten vor der Tür steht – die Grenzen öffnen, wir sollten die Herzen öffnen, aber die Mitgliedstaaten müssen ihre Geldbeutel öffnen!

  Karol Karski, w imieniu grupy ECR. – Panie Przewodniczący! Jeden z najkrwawszych konfliktów ostatnich dekad, jakim jest wojna w Syrii, pochłonął już co najmniej 200 tys. ofiar i sprawił, że setki tysięcy ludzi zostały zmuszone do opuszczenia swoich domostw. Podajmy tu przykład starożytnego chrześcijańskiego miasta Sadad, znanego z Biblii, gdzie mówiło się po aramejsku, w języku Jezusa Chrystusa. Mówiło się, ponieważ dziś miasta już nie ma, są tylko ruiny. Chrześcijanie, którzy mieszkali tam od 2000 lat zostali w dużej części wymordowani, a tym, którym udało się przeżyć, została tylko ucieczka. Ponad 3 mln ludzi uciekło z Syrii do sąsiednich państw, a 7 mln stało się uchodźcami wewnętrznymi. W obu grupach 6 mln to dzieci. Tragedia tych niewinnych ludzi została pogłębiona informacją, która pojawiła się na początku miesiąca o wstrzymaniu funduszy ze Światowego Programu Żywnościowego dla syryjskich uchodźców przebywających w Jordanii, Libanie, Turcji, Iraku i Egipcie. Limit, który miał być gwarantem zapewnienia wyżywienia na miesiąc grudzień nie został osiągnięty. Udało się dopiero zebrać go ze składek publicznych.

Proszę Państwa, uczyńmy to, aby ci uchodźcy nie stali się zakładnikami wojny...

(Przewodniczący odebrał posłowi głos.)

  Pavel Telička, on behalf of the ALDE Group. – Mr President, first of all I give my apologies, as immediately after my contribution I will have to leave because we have a group meeting on an important document that we are voting on tomorrow.

In fact, Commissioner, you have facilitated my comments. I was one of those who initiated this debate. I think the Commission came forward with a very quick response, but I am still concerned. I think the suspension of food assistance is not only extremely damaging, but I would even say that it is nearly a criminal act, taking into account the situation the refugees are in.

I am afraid that in a few months’ time, we will be in a very similar situation. I have understood that you are fully aware of that. I would invite you – with the support of this House – to be tough. Being tough is a cliché, but I want to express that we will support you in being demanding towards our partners. We are not just talking about the refugees, but about the situation in the neighbouring countries where we see a collapse of the economy, social system, food supplies and water supplies. Look at Lebanon, a country with a population of around 4 million, if I am not mistaken. There are over a million refugees on the borders of Lebanon. This is a serious situation. We need to pay thorough attention to this subject in the future. You will have our support, but we will have high expectations.

  Κώστας Χρυσόγονος, εξ ονόματος της ομάδας GUE/NGL. – Ο πόλεμος στη Συρία έχει αναγκάσει πάνω από 3 εκατομμύρια ανθρώπους να αναζητήσουν καταφύγιο σε άλλες χώρες· πολλούς από αυτούς σε κράτη μέλη της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης.

Μετά την έκκληση που απηύθυνε το Παγκόσμιο Επισιτιστικό Πρόγραμμα την 1η Δεκέμβρη προκειμένου να καλυφθούν οι ανάγκες τους, συγκεντρώθηκαν συνολικά 88 εκατομμύρια δολάρια. Τα 6 από αυτά τα έβαλε η Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση, η οποία όμως κατά τα άλλα επιμένει στη διατήρηση των κανονισμών του Δουβλίνου, που θέτουν σε κίνδυνο την ασφάλεια, την υγεία και την ίδια τη ζωή αυτών των ανθρώπων.

Το ψευδεπίγραφο κοινό ευρωπαϊκό σύστημα ασύλου που καθιερώνουν οι κανονισμοί αυτοί είναι ένα απάνθρωπο σύστημα που παγιδεύει τους πρόσφυγες στις χώρες εισόδου, δηλαδή στις μεσογειακές χώρες, όπως η Ελλάδα και η Ιταλία, οι οποίες έχουν προ πολλού ξεπεράσει τα όριά τους. Ακόμη και αναγνώριση της προσφυγικής τους ιδιότητας κατά προτεραιότητα δεν θα εξασφαλίσει στους πρόσφυγες αξιοπρεπείς συνθήκες διαβίωσης ούτε θα αντιμετωπίσει τις παραβιάσεις του διεθνούς δικαίου των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων που προκαλούνται από τη μαζική εισροή στις συγκεκριμένες αυτές χώρες.

Απαιτούμε λοιπόν ένα πιο δίκαιο σύστημα κατανομής των ευθυνών. Έχει έρθει η ώρα τα κράτη της Κεντρικής και Βόρειας Ευρώπης, που είναι στην πραγματικότητα οι χώρες προορισμού των μεταναστών, να δείξουν κατά πόσον ενστερνίζονται στην πράξη την αρχή της αλληλεγγύης, που διακηρύσσουν οι ευρωπαϊκές Συνθήκες.

  Alyn Smith, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Mr President, Commissioner, I would praise you for your swift actions, amongst others, in reacting to this remarkable crisis that the UN Food Programme has brought about. I have a couple of concrete questions for you about it: do we think there is a systemic problem within the World Food Programme that brought about the suspension of aid? Were they simply overwhelmed, in which case we lent a hand to the tiller? Or is there a policy issue that actually led to this remarkable action, which really does need to be examined further given its consequences?

I was glad to hear about your joint trip to the region with your fellow Commissioners, and the humanitarian aspects of this are only part of the story. As you rightly say, we need a political solution. Therefore, could you give us a bit more information about how the EU and your services are coordinating amongst the Member States as regards the ongoing military engagement of a number of our Member States within this theatre, which are having a variety of consequences, and indeed as regards a coherent refugee policy on the part of a number of our Member States, some of whom have considerably better records than others?

  Λάμπρος Φουντούλης (NI). – Κύριε Πρόεδρε, η αναστολή του Παγκόσμιου Επισιτιστικού Προγράμματος του ΟΗΕ είναι καταστροφική. Πρόσφυγες αγωνίζονται να επιβιώσουν μέσα στο χειμώνα χωρίς να έχουν τα στοιχειώδη για τη σίτιση και την υγεία. 1.700.000 ψυχές, πρόσφυγες από τη Συρία, έχουν καταφύγει στην Ιορδανία, το Λίβανο, την Τουρκία, το Ιράκ και την Αίγυπτο. Από ’κει προσπαθούν να φτάσουν στην Ευρώπη, που την βλέπουν σαν τη γη της επαγγελίας. Δεν μπορείς να σταματήσεις έναν πεινασμένο από την αναζήτηση τρόπων επιβίωσης. Οι Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες εξέφρασαν την ανησυχία τους και ζητούν από τη διεθνή κοινότητα να κάνει περισσότερα.

Ποιος ευθύνεται όμως για την κατάσταση αυτή; Ποιος έφερε την πείνα και την καταστροφή στη Συρία και αναγκάζει το λαό της να παίρνει το δρόμο της προσφυγιάς; Οι μεγάλες δυνάμεις, που με πολεμικές επιχειρήσεις και με το πρόσχημα της δήθεν απελευθέρωσης και της αποκατάστασης της δημοκρατίας προσπαθούν να επιβάλουν τις πολιτικές τους.

Η Αμερική αλλά και η Ευρώπη είναι συνένοχοι γι’ αυτή την κατάσταση. Όπου και να κοιτάξουμε, στο Ιράκ, τη Συρία και τη Λιβύη, τα αποτελέσματα των επεμβάσεων είναι καταστροφικά. Χάος και αναρχία επικρατεί. Οι πρόσφυγες, προκειμένου να γλυτώσουν αναζητώντας ένα καλύτερο μέλλον, χάνουν τη ζωή τους στα νερά της Μεσογείου. Οι χώρες του Νότου, όπως η Ελλάδα, που έχουν υποστεί τα δεινά της οικονομικής κρίσης, δέχονται κατά χιλιάδες σύρους πρόσφυγες, που ζητούν άσυλο.

  Francisco José Millán Mon (PPE). – Señor Presidente, señor Comisario, gracias por la información que nos ha facilitado. Yo celebro que, como se ha indicado, el 9 de diciembre el Programa Mundial de Alimentos pudiera reanudar sus trabajos de asistencia alimentaria a numerosos desplazados y refugiados sirios gracias a las aportaciones realizadas a nivel mundial y, desde luego, a nivel europeo.

No cabe excluir que en los próximos meses nos volvamos a encontrar en la misma situación. Por ello, hay que conseguir un mayor compromiso de toda la comunidad internacional para poder paliar las necesidades de estos millones de sirios desplazados, especialmente de cara al inminente invierno.

Por otra parte, como usted ha dicho, Comisario, tenemos que seguir esforzándonos en una solución política inclusiva. Pero como primer y más urgente paso, es preciso reducir también el nivel de violencia. Y, en este sentido, espero que pueda tener éxito esa propuesta novedosa del enviado especial de las Naciones Unidas de empezar creando esas zonas o situaciones libres de hostilidad o congeladas, las llamadas «local freezes of hostility». Me gustaría que esta nueva iniciativa sirviera para garantizar la seguridad y evitar el desplazamiento a miles de sirios.

Pero, Señorías, para lograr una solución política necesitamos también reforzar a las fuerzas moderadas sirias. Están fragmentadas, han perdido protagonismo y son, además, atacadas tanto por las tropas del régimen como por los grupos terroristas activos en la región. Ya que hablo de región, es preciso también que los países vecinos y otros actores internacionales influyan en las partes para acabar con el conflicto.

Y termino. La Unión Europea está siendo un actor vital, como usted nos ha explicado, Comisario, en lo que a la ayuda humanitaria se refiere. También tiene que serlo en la búsqueda de una solución política al conflicto.

  Doru-Claudian Frunzulică (S&D). – Mr President, the civil war in Syria is one of the greatest tragedies of this decade and no end seems to be in sight. We have witnessed large-scale war and violence, tens of thousands of people killed, huge destruction inflicted on this country, millions of people displaced or taking refuge in the neighbouring country. At the same time, the emergency services involved in nourishing and protecting Syrian refugees are under-financed. There is a vital food shortage for 1.7 million refugees in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt, people included in the EU Food Aid Programme.

This emergency is a tremendous challenge for the host countries. We are not providing these countries which have generously opened their borders to the refugees with adequate financial and burden-sharing solidarity. We should not hesitate to increase our allocation of funds in response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Syria and in neighbouring countries. Public mobilisation, including private donors, individuals and governments, has helped the World Food Programme maintain its response to this particular case, but it cannot be the permanent solution. It remains the responsibility of the EU Member States to respect their commitments, and our citizens support us in doing so. Refuges affected by the conflict were forced to leave their homeland and live in camps. They are suffering and dying from hunger and cold. They are extremely dependent on international aid. The survival of these people is essential and must be our priority.

  Marcus Pretzell (ECR). – Herr Präsident, meine Damen und Herren! Es ist tragisch, dass das Welternährungsprogramm seine Hilfe in Syrien aussetzen musste, und es ist vollkommen klar, dass in dieser Situation die Europäische Union eine Verantwortung dafür hat, dass es wieder aufgenommen werden kann. Und zwar gilt das für die Mitgliedstaaten wie für die Europäische Union selbst, dass hier weitere Ressourcen mobilisiert werden müssen.

Immerhin müssen wir zur Kenntnis nehmen, dass ohne die politische Einflussnahme auch der Europäischen Union die Situation, wie wir sie jetzt vorfinden, möglicherweise gar nicht eingetreten wäre. Aber wir doktern weiter an Symptomen herum. Es geht nicht nur darum, Grenzen und den Geldbeutel hier aufzumachen, sondern es geht darum, die Ursachen wirklich anzupacken. Dabei müssen wir auch die arabischen Länder mit in die Verantwortung nehmen, denn die arabischen Länder haben nicht nur das Geld, sondern sie tragen insbesondere auch eine ideologisch-religiöse Verantwortung. Denn das Urproblem in Syrien, das wir dort erleben und das wir in der ganzen Region erleben, das ist der Islamismus, und das gilt es nicht nur anzusprechen, sondern auch zu bekämpfen.

  Javier Nart (ALDE). – Señor Presidente, señor Presidente en ejercicio del Consejo, quiero felicitarle sinceramente por la eficacia y rapidez y la sensibilidad que ha tenido para impulsar la apertura de un programa de alimentos que era absolutamente fundamental. Mi reconocimiento y mi absoluto aplauso para ustedes y para la Comisión: cinco millones y medio de euros que van sumados a los dieciocho millones de euros anteriores.

Pero hay un problema fundamental. El problema fundamental es la falta de respeto del compromiso, de sus compromisos, por parte de los Gobiernos de la Unión Europea, de los Estados miembros. No puede ser que el Parlamento y la Comisión terminen teniendo un combate continuo con el Consejo de la Unión Europea.

En consecuencia, lo que les ruego es que traten ustedes de poner en orden a los Gobiernos de los Estados miembros y que, cuando prometan algo, lo cumplan.

  Marie-Christine Arnautu (NI). – Monsieur le Président, chers collègues, la situation des réfugiés ayant fui la guerre qui sévit en Syrie est effectivement alarmante, que ce soit en Turquie, en Jordanie ou au Liban.

Je voudrais en particulier attirer votre attention sur la situation des réfugiés syriens chrétiens au Liban, notamment à Zahlé, dans la plaine de la Bekaa. Ces réfugiés sont arrivés des provinces de Homs et de Hama dès le début des troubles, notamment pour fuir les persécutions de groupes armés islamistes qui ont pillé et brûlé leurs maisons, et qui criaient: "Les chrétiens à Beyrouth, les alaouites au tombeau." Pourtant, ils ne peuvent bénéficier du statut de réfugié, car l'ONU leur demande de signer une déclaration attestant qu'ils fuiraient les persécutions du gouvernement syrien, ce qu'aucun chrétien n'accepte. À l'inverse, les groupes terroristes armés qui se sont, à leur tour, réfugiés avec leurs armes dans la Bekaa suite à la sécurisation de la province de Homs bénéficient du statut de réfugié et des avantages financiers qui en découlent.

Il serait temps que les États membres demandent à l'ONU de cesser cette discrimination inadmissible envers les réfugiés chrétiens syriens.

  Elena Valenciano (S&D). – Señor Presidente, podría parecer que el mundo se está viniendo abajo. No son palabras mías, sino del Secretario General de las Naciones Unidas. La situación ha sido descrita por sus Señorías. Es crítica.

Imaginemos una ciudad europea de en torno a 1,7 millones de habitantes. Por ejemplo, Viena. Imaginemos que sus mujeres, sus niños, sus hombres estuvieran sin comida y sin abrigo. ¿Verdad que habría una movilización impresionante para ayudarles? ¿Cuánta movilización generaría una crisis así?

Las Naciones Unidas y sus agencias dicen que no pueden más. Tienen que estar detrás de los Gobiernos para que los Gobiernos cumplan sus compromisos. Y sabemos que hay que hacer más, mucho más de lo que estamos haciendo. Y sabemos que los países más ricos deberíamos compartir la carga que suponen los refugiados para países que tienen muchísimas dificultades. Millones de refugiados: en el Líbano, en Jordania, en Turquía. La capacidad de absorción de estos países no es infinita y nosotros lo estamos observando sin hacer nada a cambio de ello.

ACNUR nos está pidiendo a los países desarrollados que acojamos a 130 000 refugiados sirios, que es la décima parte de lo que están acogiendo países como Turquía o el Líbano. Brasil, por ejemplo, ha acogido a 1 500 refugiados. ¿Qué estamos haciendo en la Unión Europea?

Esta vez, la situación se ha resuelto rápida y eficazmente, señor Comisario. Tiene nuestro apoyo para seguir siendo así de firme y así de sensible.

  Jana Žitňanská (ECR) – Od roku 2011 trpia kvôli vojenskému konfliktu v Sýrii milióny civilistov – nevinní muži, ženy, ale aj deti a starí ľudia. Milióny Sýrčanov muselo opustiť svoje domovy, pričom až tretina z nich bola nútená odísť za hranice do susedných krajín. Títo ľudia stratili strechu nad hlavou, svoju prácu, pravidelný príjem, a teda aj prístup k tomu, čo je k prežitiu úplne nevyhnutné – a teda k jedlu a teplému oblečeniu. Títo ľudia stratili dôstojnosť. Svetový potravinový program, do ktorého prispieva aj Európska únia, zohráva kľúčovú úlohu pri pomoci obetiam tejto strašnej vojny. Na začiatku decembra však musela byť časť tejto pomoci z dôvodu nedostatku finančných prostriedkov pozastavená, čo spôsobilo, že veľká časť sýrskych utečencov sa ocitla vo veľmi ťažkých životných podmienkach, ktoré sú navyše komplikované treskúcou zimou. Potrebné prostriedky na december a časť januára sa napokon podarilo vyzbierať. V budúcnosti však nesmieme dopustiť, aby títo bezbranní ľudia opäť zažívali pocit ohrozenia a najmä neistoty. V takýchto ťažkých situáciách je dôležité nepoľaviť.

  Afzal Khan (S&D). – Mr President, the resumption of aid is welcomed with great relief. With Syria’s civil war in its fourth winter, the World Food Programme’s suspension of aid due to a shortage of funds would have a devastating impact on thousands of refugees. The cycle of the large-scale crisis has stretched humanitarian organisations to their limits. Despite the increase in humanitarian funding, the gap between need and available resources keeps growing. It is not enough simply to strive for the better use of scarce resources, although funding humanitarian emergencies must be a top priority.

It is even more crucial that we sever the problem from the roots. There is a direct link between the humanitarian situation in Syria and the international response. If the international community had cooperated earlier on in dealing with the brutal Assad regime, the humanitarian situation would not have spiralled out of control. Even the elimination of ISIS will not end radicalised opposition. New groups in Syria are likely to emerge to fill the void. We must tackle the radicalisation by addressing the desperate human aid needs today. It is our moral responsibility to help the refugees.

  Javi López (S&D). – Señor Presidente, hace ya demasiado tiempo que Siria vive una guerra civil con consecuencias absolutamente insoportables y dramáticas: 200 000 muertos; 11 millones de sirios que necesitan hoy ayuda humanitaria, la mitad de ellos, niños; 3,25 millones de desplazados fuera de Siria; 150 000 personas que han pedido asilo a Estados de la Unión Europea. Y a todo eso hay que sumarle violaciones sistemáticas de los derechos humanos —violaciones, torturas, uso de armas químicas— que son absolutamente insoportables. Y ante este, que es, probablemente, el mayor drama humanitario del mundo, nuestra respuesta ha sido absolutamente insuficiente.

Por eso, hoy, el Parlamento Europeo debería enviar cuatro mensajes muy claros. El primero, que es una vergüenza, una vergüenza, que el programa de alimentos de las Naciones Unidas, que asiste a 1,7 millones de sirios, se haya tenido que ver suspendido, aunque sea solo momentáneamente, durante la última semana. Segundo, que El Asad nunca va a ser nuestro socio, pero hace falta reconocerle como actor para encontrar una solución política en la zona. Tercero, y también muy importante, que hay que apoyar la iniciativa del enviado especial de las Naciones Unidas en la zona. Y cuarto, e igual de relevante, que es necesario reconocer el trabajo de los 23 millones de euros que...

(El Presidente retira la palabra al orador)

Catch-the-eye-Verfahren

  Nicola Caputo (S&D). – Signor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, il Programma alimentare mondiale ha interrotto la distribuzione di alimenti per milioni di rifugiati siriani in fuga dalla guerra. Senza gli aiuti previsti, molte famiglie rischiano di patire la fame e di non riuscire a prepararsi adeguatamente all'inverno, non avendo a disposizione vestiti adeguati e vivendo all'interno di tende di fortuna. I voucher peraltro sono importanti non solo per i rifugiati ma anche per alimentare le economie delle nazioni ospitanti, come Giordania, Libano, Iraq ed Egitto. Il blocco degli aiuti potrebbe quindi avere impatto devastante in tutta la regione alimentando tensioni e instabilità.

Credo che l'Unione europea abbia il compito di dare un impulso forte alla ripresa del programma, stimolando l'intera comunità internazionale a contribuire. In questo senso apprezzo lo sforzo della Commissione europea per il lancio del Fondo fiduciario regionale UE, un nuovo strumento di finanziamento strategico per mobilitare aiuti ai rifugiati e le comunità ospitanti nei paesi vicini e mi congratulo con il Consiglio e con l'alto rappresentante per gli affari esteri per l'impegno che sta profondendo per ricercare una soluzione alla crisi siriana. Mi auguro che queste azioni riescano a dare un aiuto concreto ai rifugiati siriani e allo stesso tempo spingano la comunità internazionale ad agire nella stessa direzione.

VORSITZ: ULRIKE LUNACEK
Vizepräsidentin

  Ska Keller (Verts/ALE). – Frau Präsidentin! Menschen hungern gerade, weil Staaten und damit auch EU-Staaten ihre finanziellen Zusagen nicht eingehalten haben und weiterhin nicht einhalten, auch nach dem neuen Aufruf des Welternährungsprogramms. Manche Mitgliedstaaten geben rein gar nichts, andere geben viel zu wenig.

Hier geht es um Flüchtlinge, hier geht es um schutzbedürftige Menschen. Der Konflikt in Syrien ist nicht erst gestern überraschend über uns hereingebrochen. Auch der Winter ist nicht ganz überraschend bei uns aufgetaucht. Wir können auch nicht darauf warten, bis es irgendwann eine politische Lösung des Konflikts gibt. Wir müssen jetzt handeln!

Die Nachbarländer Syriens leisten jetzt Dramatisches. Daran müssen wir uns ein Beispiel nehmen. Wir müssen jetzt handeln, wir dürfen das nicht auf morgen verschieben. Wir können niemandem, der jetzt hungert, der jetzt im Flüchtlingscamp friert, erklären, warum er warten muss, warum sie warten muss, bis eine politische Lösung gefunden ist. Wir müssen jetzt handeln. Wir dürfen die Nachbarländer nicht alleine lassen, und wir dürfen die Flüchtlinge dabei auch nicht alleine lassen.

(Ende des Catch-the-eye-Verfahrens)

  Christos Stylianides, Member of the Commission. – Madam President, first of all I would like to thank Members for their comments and consideration, and at the same time for their good words to me. I have felt your support, and I thank you very much for this support in this very difficult job and in these very difficult circumstances.

Let me finish with three clear conclusions of our debate today. Firstly, I repeat that the crisis we are discussing today is unprecedented, both in terms of its humanitarian consequences for millions of people, and, of course, its financial implications. It is a crisis that has enormous implications for Europe – for us. A comprehensive response to this crisis cannot be built on our normal budgets. This is, unfortunately, very clear. As you have already mentioned, a credible EU response is needed. We have the collective responsibility to find the means to make it possible, and we need to realise that if we do not invest sufficient funds in the region, the consequences will surely be felt far outside the region.

My second point is that we are doing everything possible, within the Commission and together with our Member States, to respond effectively to the needs. The European Union, as a whole, has led the international response to the Syrian crisis. We are the leading donor to the Syrian cause. We must remain the leaders in this regard.

Thirdly, the humanitarian response cannot stand by itself. This is a protracted crisis. It requires an integrated response in close cooperation with development actors and national authorities. We are already working together with our development colleagues to better integrate the humanitarian aid with the resilience stabilisation assistance. On this, again, we need to find ways to step up our financial assistance.

At the end of the day, the Syrian crisis requires – as you mentioned – a political solution. Unfortunately, the humanitarian problems need a political solution and humanitarian assistance at the urgent stage. We need to work hard with all actors involved to achieve this very difficult goal. I am sure that our support as the European Union to the initiative of Special Envoy de Mistura is crucial, critical and helpful.

Thank you again for your attention. I look forward to our continued cooperation in these very difficult circumstances.

  Benedetto Della Vedova, Presidente in carica del Consiglio. – Signor Presidente, onorevoli deputati, vi ringrazio per la discussione e ringrazio anche il Commissario per le parole molto precise ed esplicite. Non vuole esserci mancanza d'impegno o di azione nell'Unione europea quando si tratta di fornire assistenza umanitaria alle vittime della crisi siriana. Il totale dell'assistenza umanitaria dell'Unione europea dall'inizio della crisi supera i 2,1 miliardi di euro e siamo anche uno dei principali donatori del Programma alimentare mondiale e sosteniamo fermamente la sua azione per i profughi siriani.

Il nostro contributo al recente appello d'urgenza lo ha dimostrato ancora una volta e, insieme al Programma alimentare mondiale, gli Stati membri assicureranno che i finanziamenti disponibili possano essere utilizzati nel modo più efficiente ed efficace. Pianificazione e definizione di priorità adeguate saranno fondamentali a tal fine e sono certo che insieme potremo realizzarlo.

  Die Präsidentin. – Die Aussprache ist geschlossen.

Schriftliche Erklärungen (Artikel 162 GO)

  Philippe Juvin (PPE) par écrit. – Le Programme alimentaire mondial a dû annoncer la suspension de sa livraison de bons d'alimentation à plus de 1,7 million de réfugiés syriens. Cette suspension va mettre en danger la santé et la sécurité de ces populations, et risque d'entraîner de nouvelles tensions dans les pays d'accueil. Au Liban, le Haut-commissariat aux réfugiés recense actuellement plus d'un million de réfugiés syriens soit, ramené à la population libanaise, la plus importante concentration de réfugiés de toute l'histoire récente. L'arrivée de cette population a eu un impact dévastateur sur la stabilité politique, économique et sociale du pays. Elle a également entrainé une dégradation continue de la paix et de la sécurité au sein de la population, avec une montée inquiétante des attaques contre les réfugiés, alors que Daesh est aux frontières du pays et constitue une menace de tous les instants. Face à cette situation chaotique, l'Union se devait d'apporter son aide. Je me félicite que la Commission ait décidé le 4 décembre d'accorder un plan d'aide de 180 millions d'euros pour faire face aux effets de cette crise, dont 73 millions seront destinés au Liban, pour y financer en priorité l'accès aux soins et à l'éducation pour les populations vulnérables.

  Urmas Paet (ALDE), kirjalikult. – Süüria kodusõda on jätkuvalt praeguse aja üks suuremaid humanitaarkatastroofe, mille tulemusel on vähemalt 1,7 miljonit inimest põgenikustaatuses. Kodusõja õudustele on nüüdseks lisandunud ka ISILi kuriteod nii Süürias kui Iraagis, mis on veelgi põgenikke lisanud. Nende inimeste ellujäämine sõltub otseselt rahvusvahelisest humanitaarabist. Seetõttu tuleb teha kõik, et tagada nendele inimestele piisav humanitaarabi. ÜRO toiduprogrammi peatamine rahapuudusel vastu talve on uskumatu. ÜRO, EL, Araabia Liiga ja teised rahvusvahelised organisatsioonid peavad tegema oluliselt suurema pingutuse, et tagada nende inimeste toimetulek. Pooled põgenikest on lapsed. Väga oluline on tagada neile põgenikelaagrites haridus. Seega peab Euroopa Liit uue eelarve valguses tõhustama abi andmist Süüria ja teiste konfliktikollete põgenikele.