Thank you for contacting me about the humanitarian response to the conflict in Syria.
The UK is working hard to alleviate the suffering in Syria and is at the forefront of the humanitarian response, committing over £3.3 billion since 2012, the UK's largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis. This includes a pledge of at least £300 million at the 2020 Brussels IV 'Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region' donor conference. This is helping to meet the immediate needs of vulnerable people in Syria and refugees in the region.
UK aid is making a real difference, providing life-saving and life-changing support to the people of Syria and those who have fled to neighbouring countries. Since 2012, across Syria and the region, UK aid has delivered over 28 million food rations that feed a person for a month, over 19 million medical consultations, and over 13 million vaccines. In 2018/19 alone, UK aid provided over 2 million people with clean water and over 300,000 children with access to quality education.
The humanitarian needs of the Syrian people are as grave now as they have ever been. The bombing of civilian targets in Idlib earlier this year caused nearly a million people, mostly women and children, to flee their homes: the largest displacement of people since the civil war began. In response, the UK pledged an £89 million package of aid support to step up the work to provide vital support to millions of Syrian refugees.
Ministers continue to stress the need for regular, unfettered humanitarian access for agencies working inside Syria, so that vital aid can urgently reach those who need it. Britain will continue to be at the forefront of the global humanitarian response, but while these efforts can help alleviate the suffering in the region, the only way to establish lasting peace in Syria is through a credible political transition away from the Assad regime.
As we approach the tenth anniversary of the conflict, the plight of the Syrian people will not be forgotten.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
