Britain will provide new funding to the UN to help make food available for up to 1.7 million people caught up in the ongoing violence in Syria, as well as providing vitally needed medical support and basic health care, Prime Minister David Cameron announced today.
The UN is leading efforts to deliver a single, co-ordinated response to the humanitarian situation in Syria to ensure that needs are prioritised, that aid gets to those in need as quickly as possible, and that the international community works effectively together. This new British funding will give UN bodies and partner humanitarian agencies working in Syria the flexibility to rapidly identify priority areas and respond to particular needs as they become clear.
The new British funding will also support the UN’s Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in its work to assess areas of greatest need in the country in as safe a manner as possible. This includes providing two armoured cars to protect civilian assessment teams working in Syria, as well as funding for an OCHA regional humanitarian co-ordinator, Radhouane Nouicer, who will work on the ground to help ensure a joined-up humanitarian response.
The UK has already provided help to those caught up in the violence, including food, shelter, clean water and medical supplies for tens of thousands of people.
Commenting on this funding, International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell said: “Our call is crystal clear - the Syrian regime must immediately put in place a robust arrangement to ensure all impartial humanitarian organisations working in Syria have unhindered access on a regular basis. This will ensure that they can get on with helping people in desperate need, without interference or threat of violence. This is about basic human values, not politics.
“There are multiple areas of need across Syria and thousands of people are without sufficient food, shelter or medicine. This new support will now mean that the UN is better able to respond to needs as they become clear. The UN has proven expertise in meeting these sorts of challenges and I urge the international community to get behind its work. We must all now continue to strain every sinew in providing help to besieged civilians across Syria in their daily struggle for survival.”
Notes to editors
- This new funding for the UN is for £2 million, plus an additional £500,000 to OCHA for the armoured vehicles and support for the regional humanitarian co-ordinator. This brings total funding specifically for humanitarian needs in Syria to £4.5 million.
- The UK previously pledged £2 million on 17 February to help humanitarian agencies operating in Syria provide help including emergency medical services and supplies, basic food rations sufficient for over 20,000 people and emergency drinking water transported to 2,750 people.
- DFID had already significantly increased core funding to humanitarian agencies this year to cover their ongoing operations all over the world, including in the Middle East region. DFID - the Department for International Development Leading the British Government’s fight against world poverty. Find out more at www.dfid.gov.uk Contact our Press Office: 020 7023 0600 (Overseas +44 20 7023 0600) Get free-to-use photos, videos and features online: www.dfid.gov.uk/News/For-journalists For breaking news, follow us on Twitter: @DFID_UK