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German development minister in Syria to talk healthcare aid

January 15, 2025

Svenja Schulze was in Damascus to discuss a new program that would see German doctors train Syrian colleagues. Many Syrian hospitals were destroyed during the 14-year-long civil war.

https://p.dw.com/p/4p9ij
German Development Minister Svenja Schulze with Syrian Health Minister Maher al-Sharaa
Svenja Schulze was one of the first top government officials to visit Syria over a decade after many Western powers totally cut ties with the previous regime.Image: Sebastian Gollnow/dpa/picture alliance

Germany's Development Minister Svenja Schulze was in Damascus on Wednesday, where she met with de facto Health Minister Maher Sharaa to discuss cooperation between Syrian and German hospitals.

"After more than 50 years of dictatorship and 14 years of civil war, Syria now has the chance for peaceful and stable development," Schulze said as she arrived.

The new program will see doctors from Germany travel to Syria to lead workshops and to train colleagues on new equipment. Some Syrian doctors will also travel to Germany.

Thousands of doctors flee

During the civil war, the Syrian military under former President Bashar Assad repeatedly targeted hospitals in rebel-held areas, decimating Syria's healthcare system. 

This prompted many of the country's surviving healthcare workers to flee abroad. Some 5,800 doctors and 2,000 nurses with Syrian nationality are living and working in Germany alone.

Despite the long and complicated road to having their credentials recognized in Germany, many Syrian doctors and nurses would prefer to stay in their adopted home. Schulze said on Wednesday that the government needs to come up with a plan for Syrians residing in Germany to be able to visit home without losing their refugee status.

Syrian diplomat hopes refugees can stay in Germany

Asaad Shaibani, who is acting as foreign minister in Syria's transitional government, said ahead of meeting Schulze that he hopes Syrians residing in Germany would be able to stay for the time being.

"They are safe there," he told German news agency DPA in Damascus. There are currently 975,000 Syrian refugees living in Germany.

Sharaa and Shaibani belong to the acting government set up by Syrian rebels led by the Islamist HTS group following Assad's ouster in December. Health Minister Sharaa is the brother of the country's de facto leader, Ahmed Sharaa. The transitional government has promised to hold free elections in 2025.

Will Syrian refugees stay in Germany?

es/ab (AFP, dpa)