GOPA-DERD’s top management visits Sweden to discuss providing humanitarian support to the Syrian people and arranging new partnerships

Upon the invitation of the Church of Sweden (CoS), GOPA-DERD’s top management began its visit on the first day by meeting with the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) team, responsible for financing humanitarian projects in the Middle East and North Africa region, to discuss the possibility of financing new projects in light of the recent changes taking place in Syria. Then GOPA-DERD’s delegation moved to the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to meet with the team responsible for following up on the Syrian file at the Ministry to learn about the latest developments in the Syrian context, the changes taking place on the humanitarian work map, and to highlight the need to support the Syrian people more than ever before, with the need to review the issue of the sanctions imposed on Syria, which affect the daily livelihood of a people exhausted by successive crises

GOPA-DERD began the second day of its visit to Sweden with its participation in the launch of the CHS Alliance meeting, in the presence of representatives of the alliance members. GOPA-DERD Deputy Director General, Ms. Sara Savva, participated as a speaker in one of the panels on the role of Church organizations in raising the level of accountability in humanitarian work. GOPA-DERD then continued the visit by meeting with parliamentarians from the Social Democratic Party, headed by Mr. Ola Möller, followed by a meeting with parliamentarians from the Christian Democratic Party, headed by Mr. Yusuf Aydin, in which they discussed the significant role played by Church organizations in the field of humanitarian work, and the horizon of work in light of the developments accompanying the changes taking place in the political scene in Syria.

GOPA-DERD top management continued its visit on the third day to the Swedish Church, starting with a meeting with the Archbishop of the Swedish Church, His Eminence Martin Modéus, where His Eminence was briefed on the developments and conditions in Syria and the need to provide humanitarian support to all segments of the Syrian people in light of the collapsing economic situation, focusing on the importance of lifting sanctions on Syria to ease the economic burdens on the people. The delegation then continued its meetings by meeting with the management team of the Swedish Church Organization, giving a presentation on the humanitarian work carried out by GOPA-DERD and the sectors that should be focused on at this stage. The delegation concluded its meetings by conducting a series of television and press interviews, thanking the Swedish Church for the fruitful invitation, and wishing for the partnership between the two organizations to grow to a level that matches the enormous amount of need facing Syria.