The UK Government has delivered vital humanitarian aid to the Turkey-Syria border, which will provide much-needed relief and protection for Syrians amid the worsening humanitarian crisis in Idlib.
An RAF C-17 carrying 37 tonnes of UK aid landed in Hatay, Turkey. The supplies onboard include tents to provide life-saving shelter, hygiene kits, blankets, water purification tablets, cooking equipment and lanterns for around 300 families who have been forced to flee their homes and seek safety in harsh conditions.
This comes as schools, nurseries and hospitals are targeted by Syrian regime bombing.
The aid flight is in addition to £89 million of UK aid for Syria – announced last week – to help protect victims of violence, which included tents, thermal blankets, clothing, food, clean water and medical supplies, among other measures.
The aid supplies are being distributed in the worst affected areas including Idlib in north west Syria, with the cooperation of the Turkish Red Crescent.
It comes as Defence Secretary Ben Wallace visited Ankara to hold talks with his Turkish counterpart, Hulusi Akar, to discuss how the UK can further support Turkey, and those Syrians in desperate need.
“The people of Idlib have suffered enormously during this conflict and these crucial supplies delivered by our military will provide shelter for hundreds of families in desperate need. We stand in solidarity with Turkey after the losses they have suffered, and the UK will do what we can to offer support,” said Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.
The UK is one of the largest bilateral donors to the Syria crisis, providing more than £3.1 billion to trusted partners in Syria and the region since 2011.
Original source: DFID
Published on 12 March 2020
