PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Syria: Humanitarian Aid (10 March 2021)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he (a) has had and (b) plans to have with his international counterparts on international humanitarian aid funding in advance of the fifth Brussels conference on Supporting the future of Syria and the region, scheduled to take place on 29 to 30 March 2021.

Asked by:
Anna McMorrin (Labour)

The Syria Crisis remains one of the UK's top priorities and we will continue to stand by the Syrian people by delivering to those in need, both inside Syria and to refugee hosting countries. The UK is one of the largest bilateral donors to the Syria Crisis, having spent over £3.5 billion to date, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis.

We continue to use our position at the UN Security Council, relationships with International Partners, UN agencies, human rights and non-governmental organisations and others, to push for greater aid access into Syria and more sustainable, long-term solutions, to increase the resilience of millions living in conflict. The UK's Special Representative for Syria plays an essential role in engaging the international community, to improve the lives of over 13 million people who are currently in need of humanitarian assistance. The UK's Special Representative is also committed to driving support for a genuine political process to reach a lasting settlement. The UK will continue to engage with and lead the wider international humanitarian response to do the same, including at the fifth Brussels Conference for Syria and the Region.

The FCDO is in the process of rigorous internal prioritisation process in response to the spending review announcement, and we will provide an update on any implications as soon as possible. We are still working through what this means for individual programmes and no decisions have yet been made.

Answered by:
Sir James Cleverly (Conservative)
15 March 2021