Press Statement
Hadi al-Bahra
President of the Syrian Coalition
October 28, 2014
As representatives of more than 40 countries and international organizations gather in Berlin for the Syrian refugee conference, we call for increased support to hosting countries allowing for the necessary preparations to accommodate the growing needs of Syrian refugees.
The need for action has never been so urgent. As more than 4,000,000 Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries brace themselves for freezing temperatures of a harsh winter, this conference offers a glimmer of hope for those impoverished communities. It is an opportunity for the international community to send a humanitarian and political message to the Syrian people that the world has not given up on them.
We expect the conference to deliver tangible results that will have a discernible impact on long-term efforts to alleviate the plight of Syrian refugees. However, Only a transition to democracy and an inclusive representative government in Syria will make it possible for a sustainable solution to take shape and consequently put an end to the conflict. It is only then that the Syrian refugees will be able return and contribute to re-building their country.
