Plenary speech on Syrian refugees

"Mr President, for two and a half years we have been eye-witnesses to the horrible war in Syria, and politically and diplomatically the EU has stood on the sidelines while Syrians are facing the worst atrocities of what looks more and more like a proxy war that risks destabilising the entire Middle East. There is no solution in sight, and no deal on chemical weapons will end the humanitarian disaster, which will be on our doorsteps for years. The numbers of internally displaced persons and refugees and their situations are staggering. The EU has a lead role in offering funding for humanitarian support and I would like to compliment Commissioner Georgieva for her efforts and her leadership. But we must strategise and organise and especially act with all stakeholders, so I am glad to see that the EU will lead and organise a conference to meet the unprecedented appeal of the United Nations, of which only one-third has been covered, which deals merely with food, shelter, medicine and other basic needs. We must step beyond the disgraceful discussions such as those in the Netherlands, as to whether we would take 50 or 250 people into our countries, while a country like Lebanon takes in 6 000 people a day, the majority of whom are girls and women. Winter is coming and we cannot leave these people standing in the cold."