UAE: ‘We’ve taken in over 100,000 Syrian refugees since 2011’

The UAE has received 101,364 Syrian refugees since the conflict began in 2011 bringing the total number of Syrians living in the country to 243,324, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash revealed on Wednesday.

Gargash pointed out that the “UAE’s total humanitarian aid to Syrian refugees amounted to around $581.5 million.”

“We also provided more than $420 million to fight Daesh’s terrorism, and its humanitarian burden, including internal displacement,” Gargash said in a statement cited by state news agency WAM.

“Some $167.8 million in UAE aid has gone on providing food for Syrian refugees, while $88.1 million was spent on providing shelters and non-food supplies,” WAM said, adding that other sums were channelled into providing health services, water and sewerage services, education and other fields.

Gargash explained that the UAE has “allowed tens of thousands of Syrians whose residency permits or passports had expired, to regularise their status to be able to stay.”

The UAE has made continued efforts since the beginning of the Syrian crisis to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people stressing on the need to reach a sustainable solution to the crisis, he explained.

The revelations come after heavy criticism was levied on Gulf states for their lack of action in support of Syrian refugees who are now risking their lives to reach safety in Europe.