- The UK pledges up to £150 million
at a pledging conference in Brussels
- Earlier this year, the UK also
committed up to £43 million to support the response to the
earthquakes in Syria and Türkiye.
- Funds pledged today will support
food production, protect women and girls from violence, provide
lifesaving assistance, and ensure access and improved
humanitarian service provision.
At the ‘Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region’ pledging
conference in Brussels today(Thursday 15 June) the UK has pledged
up to £150 million to support millions of vulnerable Syrians
and help mitigate the destabilising impact of the conflict in
refugee-hosting nations.
This year’s pledge is in addition to the £43m committed earlier
this year in response to the earthquakes in Syria and Türkiye,
bringing the UK’s contribution to Syria and the region to £193m
in 2023.
Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for
the Middle East, said:”
said:
“The UK’s commitment to supporting the Syrian people is
unwavering.
“On top of 12 years of harrowing conflict, Syrians have faced
further tragedy this year in the form of February’s earthquakes.
“The international community must ensure the Syrian people
are not forgotten. The UK will continue to play a leadership role
in supporting Syrians to rebuild their lives and promote a
long-term political settlement for lasting and sustainable
peace.
The funding announced today will support the humanitarian
response both within Syria and across the region. It will enable
around 65,000 Syrians in need per year to be less dependent on
emergency aid, provide access to high-quality primary education
in Northwest Syria and deliver specialised sexual and
reproductive health services and gender-based violence services
to help survivors recover.
The ongoing conflict in Syria continues to have a huge
humanitarian cost both in the country and the surrounding region,
as thousands of people are displaced from their homes. The
support announced today will help those inside Syria and
in neighbouring countries most-affected by the refugee
crisis, promoting regional stability and delivering on the
government’s priority to stop illegal migration.
UK funding earlier in the year for earthquake relief in Syria
included immediate support to the White Helmets for search and
rescue operations, the delivery of urgent relief items - such as
family tents, blankets, water purification kits - as well as a
bolstered package of support to aid agencies to help those most
in need. Last year, UK funding for the humanitarian needs of
Syrians also provided thousands of people with drinking water and
access to formal education, as well as delivering immunisation
campaigns, medical consultations and sexual, gender-based
violence and reproductive services.
The UK is one of the largest bilateral donors to the Syria
Crisis, having spent over £3.8 billion to date. It is the
UK’s largest-ever response to a single humanitarian crisis.
Notes to Editors
- Earlier this year, the UK acted
swiftly to commit a significant package of aid, totalling over
£43 million, including funding to the White Helmets, to deliver
urgent lifesaving and life-sustaining assistance in areas
affected by February’s earthquakes across Syria and
Turkey.
- With humanitarian needs at their
highest-ever levels in Syria, Syrians also deserve secure,
consistent aid delivery reliant on continued cross-border access
from Türkiye to Syria. The UK urges members of the UNSC to vote
in favour of extending and expanding the mandates for cross
border aid access in July for at least 12
months.
- We remain opposed to engagement
with the Assad regime, which must be held accountable for its
human rights abuses and violations. Engaging Assad in the absence
of any evidence that his regime will change its behaviour will
not help Syrians, the region or the world. Only a political
process under UNSCR 2254 offers a peaceful way forward for
Syrians.
- To that end, the UK has also
co-sponsored side events at the conference, including one with
our long-standing partners, the White Helmets and the Syrian
Network for Human Rights, on the issue of accountability for
chemical attacks in Syria.
