During his first visit to Syria, German foreign minister Johann Wadephul said he does not expect many Syrian refugees in Germany to return to their homeland soon, given the massive destruction caused by the civil war.
Visiting Harasta, a heavily damaged suburb of Damascus, Wadephul said
I have never seen such a scale of destruction. It is almost impossible for people to live a dignified life here.
He added that the ruined infrastructure makes short-term return unlikely.
Wadephul met interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaybani, urging them to guarantee Syrians “a life of dignity and security” and to ensure inclusion of all citizens.
Germany will provide an additional €52.6 million in aid for Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. The funds will support food security, health and shelter projects. Germany has already pledged €81 million in humanitarian aid to Syria for 2025 and will contribute more to the Effective Reconstruction Fund bringing its total contribution to €110 million.
In Harasta, Wadephul visited a German-supported project helping displaced Syrians build affordable shelters from mud bricks. Despite efforts to rebuild the situation in Syria, it remains unstable nearly a year after the fall of Bashar al-Assad last December.