Recently some constituents have written to me to
draw my attention to the plight of civilians and in particular the children in
Syria who are fearing for their lives as Assad’s government forces closes in
rebel-held territories in the province of Idlib. They ask for my assurance that
I would do all that I can to speak up and support Syrian children trapped in
war.
I am happy to inform constituents that I am more
than happy to lend them and children in Syria my support. I am very much
concerned about the current escalation of violence in Idlib, and appalled by
reports of attacks on innocent civilians in schools and hospitals.
The UK has been at the forefront of the
humanitarian response to the Syria crisis and continues to be one of the
largest international donors, having now committed more than £2.8 billion since
2012. Across Syria and the region, UK aid has provided over 27 million food
rations, over 14 million medical consultations, and over 10 million vaccines
since the conflict began.
I have repeatedly spoken up in favour of our aid
and humanitarian efforts to assist countries such as Syria, and will continue
to do so.
In March the FCO announced that the UK will step up
its humanitarian contribution to the conflict in Syria by pledging an
additional £100m which will go towards:
- Helping vulnerable Syrians
access clean drinking water;
- Delivering food, clothing,
tents, hygiene kits and other essential survival items to those in need;
- Providing access to medical
care, including vaccinations against deadly diseases and counselling for
those traumatised by the conflict; and
- Helping Syrian refugees find
jobs and access education.
I welcome this latest announcement and will
continue to monitor the impact of our aid to Syria to ensure its effectiveness
and efficiency.
Additionally, many civilians including children
have been made refugees as a result of the ongoing conflict in Syria.
In general, refugees are best helped when they are
able to find places of sanctuary in the region close to their homes, in order
that they may return to the their country after the war, which is the desire of
the vast majority of Syrian refugees according to the UNHCR.
However, a small number of the most vulnerable
refugees will need to be resettled in countries away from the region for their
protection. The UK Government is committed to resettling 23,000 refugees from
the region (including 3,000 unaccompanied or vulnerable children and their
families) by 2020 and is on track to meeting that commitment. In June the Home
Secretary announced that as a result of the success of the Syrian resettlement
programmes, it will be aiming to welcome another 5,000 – 6,000 refugees by
2021.
Ultimately what we need to resolve the conflict in
Syria is a political solution between the two sides. In the Commons on
Wednesday the Prime Minister confirmed that in her meetings with the Turkish
and Russian presidents she reiterated her concerns about the need to come to a
peace settlement in Syria and raised specific concerns about the situation in
Idlib and the need to ensure there is a de-escalation in the province.
I will continue to monitor closely the situation in Syria and the UK Government’s response, and
speak up for the most vulnerable, oppressed and persecuted victims of the
humanitarian situation in Syria.
