German Development Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD) has announced plans to support the reconstruction in Syria through clinic partnerships.
As a form of aid for Syria, we want to establish partnerships between Syrian and German clinics, said Schulze in an interview with Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland. Germany is home to around 6,000 Syrian doctors, not including those with a German passport. They know what their colleagues on the ground need, and I want to highlight that, the minister added.
In Damascus, Schulze met with the de-facto health minister, and it was agreed that Germany and Syria would collaborate on this issue. I plan to bring Syrian doctors and healthcare professionals to Germany in February, Schulze announced, from which many partnerships could emerge, helping people in Syria directly and also benefiting Germany.
Schulze plans to seek a majority in the parliament before the general election to secure funding for the project. I am confident that a majority in the Bundestag will be found to secure funding for this sensible initiative, she said.
Regarding the mood towards Syrian refugees in Germany, Schulze stated, As I saw the destruction in Damascus, I was ashamed of the German debate on the return of Syrian women and men.