The UK will provide life-saving support to Syrians affected by
their country’s ongoing conflict and the potentially devastating
impact of coronavirus, International Development Secretary
announced at the
‘Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region’ pledging
conference in Brussels today (Tuesday 30 June).
With only half of hospitals fully functioning and more than seven
million people internally displaced, there remains a critical gap
in basic healthcare alongside overcrowded living conditions –
increasing the risk of coronavirus spreading.
The UK is pledging at least £300 million to support vulnerable
Syrians with education, healthcare, food and economic recovery.
The funding will help stop the spread of the virus by supporting
health workers with training, medical supplies and sanitation.
Preventing coronavirus in countries with weak health systems
helps to protect us all – as no one is safe until we are all
safe.
Speaking at the virtual conference the International Development
Secretary said:
The Syria Conflict has now run into its tenth year, and in this
time, more than 500,000 people have been killed and more than
11 million Syrians have been uprooted from their homes,
families, livelihoods and schools.
We cannot and will not ignore the scale of the coronavirus
threat in Syria, which has already been ravaged by almost a
decade of conflict. That is why the UK stands with the Syrian
people and is providing life-saving support where it is most
needed.
The Brussels conference is also raising funds to help countries
in the region affected by the crisis, including Lebanon, Jordan
and Turkey, which host over five million Syrian refugees.
UK funding will continue to help Syrian households recover from
the crisis and become more self-reliant in the long-term. Over
the past three years the UK has provided tools, training, and
start-up funding to help Syrians in need across the country get a
regular income. In her remarks, Ms Trevelyan said emergency
humanitarian support was crucial, but the international community
must also continue to help Syrians regain their livelihoods.
The UK is helping to ensure more than 500,000 of the most
marginalised and at risk children receive a quality education in
Syria. This work provides a sense of stability, safety and
routine for Syrian children, a generation which has grown up in
this conflict.
Humanitarian access to millions in need within Syria continues to
be obstructed by the Syrian regime, which routinely refuses
requests from the UN and aid organisations to deliver aid,
prolonging suffering. It is essential that the UN Security
Council Resolution on cross-border aid is renewed in July. The
humanitarian situation in Northern Syria is dire, and
humanitarian organisations must have unfettered access to help
those in need.
The UK supports the UN-facilitated political process to reach a
lasting settlement to the conflict which protects the rights of
all Syrians. The UK will not consider providing any
reconstruction assistance unless a credible, substantive and
genuine political process is firmly underway.
Notes to editors
- In 2020, the UK will provide at least £300 million to the
Syria Crisis, bringing our total support to over £3.3 billion
since 2012. This funding has provided over 28 million food
rations, over 19 million medical consultations, and over 13
million vaccines across the region.
- According to the latest OCHA update, the number of people
confirmed by the Ministry of Health to have COVID-19 is: 269
(nine fatalities, 102 recovered). However, testing capacity
remains low. There is high risk for the elderly, people with
underlying health conditions, vulnerable refugee and IDP
populations and healthcare workers.
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimates 586,100
people have been killed in the crisis since
2011. https://www.syriahr.com/en/157193/
