Finland to grant €4m to support disability rights in Syria

Finland is to allocate EUR 4 million to the UN Development Programme (UNDP) for rehabilitating people with disabilities, including seriously injured civilians, supporting livelihoods, and improving attitudes towards people with disabilities in Syria.

This is a follow-on from Finland’s earlier support for the same purpose, said a foreign ministry press release.

“People with a disability and seriously injured civilians bear the heaviest burden in the Syria war. Hundreds of thousands have lost their health, become paralysed, or undergone amputation. At the same time, many have been deprived of employment prospects and, consequently, their dignity. Finland wants to help the most vulnerable victims of war and to support their inclusion in society,” said Tarja Fernández, the ambassador of Finland to Beirut.

The UN estimates that as many as 2.8 million people suffer from some kind of disability in Syria. The number of amputees alone is estimated at more than 400,000.

The UNDP runs five centres in different parts of Syria that focus on rehabilitation and livelihoods of people with disabilities. Four of these centres receive funding from Finland. In close cooperation with local and regional authorities, the UNDP also aims to contribute to the provision of public services for people with disabilities and to influence public attitudes.