UK aid protects victims of violence as Syrian regime increases attacks in Idlib

A new package of UK aid support will help protect people at increasing risk of violence as the conflict in Syria escalates and pushes them to seek safety in harsh conditions, International Development Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan announced.

£89 million of UK aid will help those most in need as the numbers forced to flee the violence in north west Syria reaches unprecedented levels.

Over the last 90 days, nearly a million people – the vast majority women and children – have fled their homes as the Assad regime and its Russian backers bomb civilian targets in the rebel-held town of Idlib and surrounding areas. The UN has said this is the largest displacement of people since the civil war began nearly nine years ago. Hundreds of thousands of people are living in derelict buildings and makeshift camps in freezing conditions.

This funding will provide:

• Tents, thermal blankets and clothing
• Food, clean water and medical supplies
• Access to immediate clinical care, counselling and legal advice for victims of violence
• Facilities where women and girls can be protected from sexual attacks
• Emergency access to education facilities where children can be protected and their families supported
• Training for midwives to deliver children safely, provide emergency obstetric care and refer new mothers and babies to safe neonatal services
• Access to contraception and ‘dignity kits’ for girls, pregnant women and new mothers, containing: sanitary products, sterile gloves, soap and a guide to help ensure safe childbirth when professional medical help is unavailable.

The UK is one of the largest bilateral donors to the Syria crisis. Since day one, we have been at the forefront of the humanitarian response and have been helping Syrians with access to food, clean water, medical check-ups, vaccinations and an education both in Syria and the surrounding region.

Original source: DFID
Published on 03 March 2020