{"id":67282,"date":"2016-02-04T15:25:00","date_gmt":"2016-02-04T15:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=2ebc80c652433c3dbac70dd3a648c9f3"},"modified":"2016-02-04T15:25:00","modified_gmt":"2016-02-04T15:25:00","slug":"speech-pms-opening-remarks-at-supporting-syria-conference-4-february-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=67282","title":{"rendered":"Speech: PM’s opening remarks at Supporting Syria conference: 4 February 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

A warm welcome to London \u2013 and on behalf of my co-hosts Chancellor Merkel, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Prime Minister Solberg, and His Highness the Emir of Kuwait \u2013 thank you for your support today.<\/p>\n

We could not have a stronger gathering to address one of the worst humanitarian crises of our time. World leaders from 30 different countries, delegations from 60. Non-governmental organisations and civil society \u2013 the majority from within Syria. UN agencies, international financial institutions, multilateral development banks, and more \u2013 all here with us today.<\/p>\n

And if ever there was a moment to take a new approach to the humanitarian crisis in Syria \u2013 surely it is now.
\nWe are facing a critical shortfall in life-saving aid that is fatally holding back the humanitarian effort.<\/p>\n

And after years of conflict we are witnessing a desperate movement of humanity, as hundreds of thousands of Syrians fear they have no alternative than to put their lives in the hands of evil people-smugglers in the search for a future.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile Syria\u2019s neighbours are struggling under the strain of hosting huge numbers of refugees, and trying to maintain services, and create jobs for their own people.<\/p>\n

Of course, the long-term solution to the crisis in Syria can only be reached with a political transition to a new government that meets the needs of all its people. And we must continue to work towards that, however difficult it may be.<\/p>\n

But while we pursue a solution to this horrific conflict, we can also take vital steps now which will make a real difference to people\u2019s lives, both today and long into the future.<\/p>\n

We can provide the help that Syrians need now \u2013 with pledges of aid \u2013 food and medical supplies \u2013 that will quite literally save lives.<\/p>\n

We can provide refugees with the opportunities and skills they need to make a life for themselves and their families in host communities \u2013 giving them a viable alternative to remain in the region, and equipping them for the day they can eventually return home to rebuild their country.<\/p>\n

And, critically, we can support those host countries and communities which are showing such enormous generosity in providing refuge to Syrians with no choice but to flee destruction.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

David Cameron welcomed world leaders to the Supporting Syria and the region conference in London.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67282"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=67282"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67282\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67332,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67282\/revisions\/67332"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=67282"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=67282"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=67282"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}