BRUSSELS

 The European Union announced Thursday €136 in humanitarian assistance to Syria.

The European Commission -- the 28-nation-bloc’s executive body – said in a statement that half of the package will provide for needs inside Syria via cross-border assistance from neighboring countries. 

The other half will benefit Syrian refugees and host communities in neighboring Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq.

''Alleviating the suffering of the victims of the Syrian crisis has been my top priority from day one of my mandate,'' said Commissioner Christos Stylianides. ''I see with my own eyes the difficulties refugees face having fled from the conflict to neighboring countries.''

''I would like to reiterate (the) EU’s continued commitment to support Lebanon and Jordan in their efforts to deal with the increasing flow of refugees from Syria and ensuring access to essential services such as health and education," Johannes Hahn, commissioner for the European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, said.