Qatar announced this year a contribution of $100mn to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people.

In a statement in Brussels where a conference on 'Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region' was held on Thursday, HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani affirmed that Qatar fulfilled all its commitments during the political consultations and donor conferences, and supported the needs of the Syrian people since the outbreak of the crisis and over eight years, granted about $2bn in co-ordination with its partners from donor countries and specialised international agencies.

Sheikh Mohamed said that Qatar is a reliable partner and will spare no effort to provide all support and assistance to the Syrian people, in co-ordination with its international partners and in accordance with the international law.

He stressed that alleviating the suffering of the Syrians requires the international community to fulfill its humanitarian obligations and provide the necessary assistance and take effective measures to ensure the implementation of Security Council resolution 2165 on facilitating and providing humanitarian access to all affected areas in Syria and to Syrian refugees in host countries.

HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs said that since the beginning of the crisis in Syria in 2011, data shows alarming numbers and facts, and the number of dead exceeded 500,000 and approximately 12mn people are now displaced and are refugees, as well as massive destruction of property and infrastructure in most areas of Syria.

He added that despite the efforts exerted on the political and humanitarian sides, these efforts did not change much of the reality, in light of the continuing practices of the Syrian regime and its crimes committed daily against Syrian citizens.

Sheikh Mohamed called on the international community to take all measures to bring to justice those responsible for committing atrocities, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria, in light of the continued serious violations of international humanitarian law by the Syrian regime, documented in the reports of the United Nations and international organisations.

He thanked the European Union and the United Nations for holding this conference and for their efforts towards the Syrian crisis and for supporting the Syrian people in their ordeal.

Sheikh Mohamed affirmed that ending impunity through achieving justice and accountability is an essential part of sustainable peace in Syria and a guarantee for the protection of human rights.

He said since 2011, a serious case of impunity has been witnessed because of the failure of the Security Council to refer Syria's file to the International Criminal Court, a matter which led to an escalation and intensification of violations and contributed to the loss of the rights of victims and the lack of criminal justice.

Sheikh Mohamed pointed out that there is an international will to deal with impunity, praising judicial proceedings by some countries such as France and Germany against members of the Syrian regime.

Qatar, he said, appreciates the efforts of the international, Impartial and Independent Mechanism on Syria to assist in the investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the most serious crimes committed in Syria, particularly in cooperation with the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria and civil society organizations to exchange information and evidence to document violations.

Foreign Minister of the Principality of Liechtenstein, Aurelia Frick, thanked Qatar and expressed her country's pride in leading the efforts alongside Qatar to help the Syrian people.

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