Syria crisis: Latest updates on UK aid
How the UK is responding to the humanitarian crisis in Syria and neighbouring countries - and how you can help.
Syrian children in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. Picture: Russell Watkins/DFID
The crisis in Syria is gravely concerning. Hundreds of people are being killed or wounded every day and millions have been forced to flee.
More than 12 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance inside the country and over 3.9 million have become refugees, according to latest figures from the United Nations.
Video: See how UK aid is helping Syrians who have fled the fighting
UK aid at work in the Zaatari camp for Syrian refugees in Jordan
The UK has now committed £800 million to help those affected by the conflict. This is the UK’s largest ever response to a humanitarian crisis. This funding is providing support including food, medical care and relief items for over a million people including those affected by the fighting in Syria, as well as to refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq.
Factsheet: The UK’s humanitarian aid response to the Syria crisis
Contents
Latest news
Fourth anniversary of Syria crisis (14 March 2015)
In advance of the fourth anniversary of the start of the Syria conflict on Sunday 15 March, International Development Secretary Justine Greening said:
After four years of fighting in Syria, every day brings new stories of horror and suffering, of lives lost, families torn apart and children robbed of a future. We are at risk of losing an entire generation to the conflict.
The UK has provided lifesaving water, shelter, medical help and other essential aid to more than a million people in Syria and across the region. Humanitarian aid saves lives, but only a political solution can resolve the crisis.
Aid agencies must get the access they need to save lives. This anniversary must focus the attention of the world to find a political solution.
British school teachers visit Jordan (13 March 2015)
British teacher Keith Coughlin, visiting a school in the Zaatari refugee camp, Jordan. Picture: Russell Watkins/DFID
On the fourth anniversary of the start of the Syrian conflict, a group of British school teachers visited Jordan this week to support teachers and school children affected by the conflict.
The British Council organised the visit as part of the Connecting Classrooms programme.
15 teachers from UK schools joined 15 teachers from Jordanian and Lebanese schools with significant populations of Syrian refugee children.
The teachers visited Jordanian schools that host refugee children, and went on to visit a school in Zaatari refugee camp.
Britain stands shoulder to shoulder with Jordan as UK pledges new support for Syria crisis (8 February 2015)
Britain will stand shoulder to shoulder with Jordan as the country continues to play a pivotal role promoting stability in the region, International Development Secretary Justine Greening said today as she announced a further £100 million of assistance for the Syrian crisis.
Justine Greening and The Prince of Wales at a WFP supermarket in the Zaatari refugee camp, Jordan. Picture: WFP/Joelle Eid
The International Development Secretary made the commitment during a visit to Jordan with HRH The Prince of Wales almost four years since the conflict in neighbouring Syria began. During the visit they met Jordan’s King Abdullah II and visited UK-funded projects in the Za’atari refugee camp.
More than 600,000 Syrian refugees have fled to Jordan since the start of the conflict and now make up almost 10 per cent of Jordan’s population. The Za’atari camp alone hosts 80,000 people.
The new support will help host communities in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq deal with the extra pressures they face from the number of refugees fleeing across the borders from Syria. It will also support people affected by fighting inside Syria by providing food, medical care and relief items.
World must invest in Syria’s young, says Greening (23 September 2014)
World leaders must make a major investment in the next generation of Syrians to provide them with better opportunities and a viable alternative to extremism, International Development Secretary Justine Greening urged today.
The International Development Secretary made the call at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, where she announced £100 million in new UK funding for Syria and neighbouring countries. This brings the UK’s total response to the Syria crisis to £700 million.
Speaking from New York, Justine Greening said:
“In the last few days tens of thousands of Syrians have fled into Turkey to escape ISIL extremists, a further reminder of just how volatile the situation in Syria remains. As needs continue to grow, the world’s generosity must keep pace.
“The rise of ISIL is a chilling reminder that we cannot allow this to become a forgotten crisis. Syria and its neighbours stand at a crossroads. We must show the children and young people of the region that there is an alternative to the bloody narratives of ISIL and the regime - a future of hope not hatred.”
Justine Greening responds to first UN cross-border aid convoy into Syria since new Security Council Resolution (25 July 2014)
International Development Secretary Justine Greening has welcomed the UN’s first cross-border aid convoy into Syria since UN Security Council Resolution 2165 was passed last Monday, backed strongly by the UK.
Justine Greening said:
The Syrian regime has consistently refused to allow aid deliveries across its borders from neighbouring countries, denying more than a million people desperately needed food, water and medicine.
Earlier this year, Britain took the decision to step up cross border operations in defiance of Syrian regime restrictions and lobbied vigorously for the Security Council resolution agreed last Monday. This green light means the UN has now made its first cross-border aid delivery, an incredibly important and welcome first step.
Greening pledges new UK help from Syrian border (5 July 2014)
The UK will boost cross-border aid operations into Syria with more than £46 million of new help for civilians in hard to reach areas, International Development Secretary Justine Greening has announced following a visit to the Turkish border with Syria.
Support from British public helps save Syrian children from deadly winter (17 April 2014)
More than a million Syrian children have been helped through the coldest months thanks to UNICEF’s Winter Appeal – backed by the UK public, and with every donation doubled by UK aid.
International Development Secretary Justine Greening said:
The public response to UNICEF’s Syria Winter Appeal was incredibly generous and by matching all donations pound for pound the UK Government has helped bring the total raised to more than £6.4 million.
The support of the British people allowed UNICEF to deliver more than a million blankets and other vital supplies to children caught up in the conflict, keeping them warmer and safer last winter.
Millions of children still face an uncertain future and we must ensure they continue to get the help they need.
Video: UNICEF Ambassador Ewan McGregor thanks UK supporters
UNICEF Ambassador Ewan McGregor thanks UK supporters for their help
Jon Sparkes UNICEF Chief Operating Officer said:
We are so grateful for the fantastic support from the UK public for our Syria Winter Appeal, and to the UK Government for matching pound for pound all donations to UNICEF’s work for Syria’s children.
UNICEF will not rest until we reach every Syrian child caught in this crisis. The support we provide to the children of Syria could shape Syria’s future, and that of the entire region.
Greening: act now for Syrian children (10 April 2014)
International donors must deliver on their promises and not forget the millions of children traumatised by the Syrian conflict who continue to need support, International Development Secretary Justine Greening has warned.
The UK is convening a high level summit in Washington DC tomorrow to underline the critical need for renewed financial and political commitment for the No Lost Generation Initiative. Meanwhile, Britain unveiled an additional £20 million of support for child protection, counselling and education.
UK pledges redoubled efforts to end the Syrian conflict and alleviate humanitarian suffering (14 March 2014)
In advance of the third anniversary of the start of the Syria conflict on Saturday 15 March, Foreign Secretary William Hague and International Development Secretary Justine Greening have issued a joint statement.
Britain leads the way at crucial Syria conference and urges other countries to step up (15 January 2014)
Britain has today pledged a further £100 million to the UN’s latest Syria crisis appeal, the International Development Secretary Justine Greening has announced.
Speaking from Kuwait at the Second International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria, Ms Greening said the UK’s latest commitment reflected the deep concern of Britain towards the worsening plight of the Syrian people.
The unprecedented refugee crisis has meant that the UK has now committed over £600 million towards the Syria crisis, which is 3 times its response to any other humanitarian crisis. This new funding will help the UN meet critical humanitarian needs including schooling for Syrian children.
Read Justine Greening’s speech at the Kuwait pledging conference
UK provides schoolbooks for a generation of children in Lebanon (14 January 2014)
An entire generation of schoolchildren in Lebanon will get a boost to their education under a new UK initiative announced today by International Development Secretary Justine Greening during a visit to Lebanon.
The scheme will ensure that every child aged between 6 and 15 who attends state school in Lebanon has a set of textbooks covering key academic subjects. As well as 80,000 refugee children who have fled the fighting in Syria, this will include Lebanese children from host communities who might otherwise be at risk of losing out. Over 300,000 packs of books will be distributed in total.
The Lebanese public school system is under growing pressure to find spaces for Syrian refugee children, as schools are forced to run a shift system where a second school day starts after normal hours to educate twice as many children. Since 80,000 refugee pupils are currently enrolled in Lebanon, every fifth child in school is a refugee.
Step up funding in Kuwait to save lives in Syria (13 January 2014)
The Syria humanitarian crisis will escalate sharply unless the international community steps up with significant new funding at a major United Nations pledging conference in Kuwait this Wednesday, International Development Secretary Justine Greening warned today.
The Kuwait conference is a chance for the international community to provide vital financial support to millions of Syrians in 2014. The UN’s current appeal for $6.5 billion is its largest ever. Justine Greening is calling on European, Gulf and other international leaders to make good on existing pledges and to ensure new funding is sufficient to meet future needs.
The call comes as the UK today announces £30 million specifically to help Syrian women and children caught up in the conflict. This is the final allocation of the £500 million the UK government has pledged to date in response to the Syria crisis. That means the UK has now delivered on all of its funding promises and can focus solely on meeting future needs at the Kuwait conference.
No Lost Generation - Champion the Children of Syria (7 January 2014)
As the Syrian crisis rages on, an entire generation of children is being shaped by violence, displacement and a persistent lack of opportunity – and could be lost forever, with profound long-term consequences for Syria, the region and beyond.
Under the umbrella of #NoLostGeneration, the UK, UNICEF and other partners are galvanizing the global coordinated effort it will take to protect the futures of these children.
As a nation, the UK has already given £523 million - including many generous donations from members of the public. But even more is needed to cope with the scale of the suffering. We must act now, urgently, to champion the #ChildrenofSyria and to support neighbouring nations.
These children need YOU to be their champion, because the children of Syria are the future of Syria.
Visit the Champion the Children of Syria website to see some of their stories, and add your voice.
UK provides essential healthcare for Syrian refugees (2 January 2014)
Britain will provide mobile clinics, healthcare and emergency surgery for up to 120,000 Syrian refugees caught up in the ongoing crisis, International Development Secretary Justine Greening has announced.
The new £16 million package will include specialist mental healthcare for people traumatised by the fighting, assistance for disabled refugees and mobile clinics to get aid to for families spread across Jordan and Lebanon.
Previous announcements (2013)
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Further UK support for Syrians hit by winter storms (20 December 2013)
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Syrian children face third winter of misery, warns Greening (11 December 2013)
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Match funding for War Child’s Children of Syria Appeal (10 December 2013)
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Match funding for Oxfam’s winter appeal for Syrian refugees (3 December 2013)
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UK backs Save the Children appeal for Syria (24 November 2013)
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More support for vulnerable refugees in Jordan (13 November 2013)
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New instalment of support for refugees in Jordan (7 November 2013)
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UN releases new numbers for displaced people inside Syria (5 November 2013)
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UNICEF first partner in new UK drive for Syria’s children (31 October 2013)
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UK to help protect Syrian children fleeing to Iraq (23 October 2013)
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UK support for the Palestinians made refugees twice over by Syria crisis (21 October 2013)
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New UK support for Jordan’s Syrian refugee response (12 October 2013)
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UK boosts education for Syrian refugee children (10 October 2013)
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UK to help World Food Programme reach an extra 230,000 Syrian children (3 October 2013)
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Nick Clegg pledges £100 million aid for Syria (25 September 2013)
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Syrian children must not become a lost generation (23 September 2013)
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UK aid to help thousands more people affected by ongoing Syria crisis (17 September 2013)
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Act now and step up support for Syria’s refugee children, says Greening (9 September 2013)
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The world must not fail a generation of Syrians, PM warns (6 September 2013)
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A million children forced to flee fighting, UN announces (23 August 2013)
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Justine Greening responds to UN report that Syria death toll now above 100,000 (25 July 2013)
How you can help
Disasters Emergency Committee Syria Crisis Appeal
The best way to help those hit by the crisis is to donate to the DEC appeal.
Donate to the DEC Syria Crisis Appeal
Responding to the launch of the DEC Syria Crisis Appeal, International Development Secretary, Justine Greening said:
“We welcome the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal to do more for people in desperate need. This conflict continues to cause appalling suffering. Over four million people in Syria are in urgent need of assistance and a million refugees need humanitarian support.
“The British Government has led the international response with medical help, food, shelter and clean water but more needs to be done. Other donors must honour their funding promises and it is time that all parties to the conflict allow humanitarian access to all areas of Syria.”
How the UK is helping
In Syria, UK aid has already delivered:
- £249 million of assistance to help people affected by conflict, including in opposition held and contested areas
- Food for over 210,000 people per month through our partner the World Food Programme
- Shelter and relief items to over 305,000 people affected by the violence
In neighbouring countries, British support has already provided:
- £292 million of assistance to help Syrian refugees and host communities in the region
- Safe drinking water and sanitation services (toilets and latrines) to almost 100,000 people in Jordan and Lebanon
- Shelter and essential relief item supplies for more than 84,000 people
For all the figures on what UK aid is being spent on and where, download our factsheet.
Facts and stats
- 12.2 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in Syria
- Over 6.5 million people have been driven out of their homes by the fighting to other areas of Syria
- There are now over 3.9 million refugees in neighbouring countries
- Total UK humanitarian funding committed to the response is £800 million to date
- Our humanitarian assistance is provided through neutral and impartial agencies and is wholly separate from UK support for the opposition.
- All UK funding is going to humanitarian agencies with a proven ability to operate in Syria and neighbouring countries
- The UK remains at the forefront of international efforts to support an effective response, led by the United Nations.
Related government links
- News: Syria chemical weapons attack
- Article: Helping the people of Syria in their time of need
- Press release: Largest ever UK disaster response for Syria crisis
- In pictures: How the UK is meeting humanitarian needs in the region
Updates to this page
Last updated 20 March 2015 + show all updates
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Updated with links to news stories published this week.
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Added translation
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Updated on 8 February 2015 with announcement by International Development Secretary of extra £100 million UK assistance in response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
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Programme summary factsheet updated with latest version correct as of 20 January 2015
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Factsheet updated 13 January 2015
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Updated with the latest humanitarian factsheet dated 11 November.
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Updated programme summary PDF, correct as of 4 November 2014.
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Updated with latest humanitarian factsheet dated 28 Oct 2014.
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Updated with humanitarian factsheet dated 14 Oct 2014.
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Programme summary pdf attachment updated as of 7 October 2014
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Latest humanitarian programme summary (dated 30 September) added to page.
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Updated with new £100m funding announcement on 23 September 2014
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Factsheet PDF updated as of 16 September 2014
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Updated programme summary PDF, correct as of 9th September 2014
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Updated programme summary PDF released on 29 August 2014
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Latest summary document dated 26 August 2014 added
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Updated with latest humanitarian update summary dated 12 August
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Updated with the latest humanitarian summary dated 22 July
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Updated programme summary attachment, correct as of 15 July 2014
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Latest humanitarian programme summary (dated 8 July) added to page.
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Updated programme summary PDF, correct as of 24 June 2014
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Updated with latest humanitarian response factsheet dated 3 June 2014
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Added latest Syria factsheet to page
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Updated with latest factsheet, correct as of 13 May 2014
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Updated with latest version of factsheet attached, correct as of 6 May 2014
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News story updated with the latest Syria humanitarian aid factsheet
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Latest news update: Support from the British public helps save Syrian children from deadly winter
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Added link to press release dated 14 April 2014
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Updated factsheet attached, correct as of 17 March 2014
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Joint statement on Syria made by William Hague and Justine Greening on 14 March 2014
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Updated programme summary factsheet, correct as of 12 March
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Updated programme summary factsheet dated 26 Feb 2014.
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Page updated with the factsheet on the UK's humanitarian aid response to the Syria crisis and region dated18 February 2014.
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Updated programme summary PDF, correct as of 15 January
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Updated with latest news story
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Updated with most recent press release
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Updated with Kuwait conference story, 13 January 2014
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Updated programme summary factsheet.
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Updated with details of No Lost Generation campaign on 7 January 2013
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Latest news story added from 02 January 2014.
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Updated to include announcement of further UK support for Syrians hit by winter storms
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Updated UK aid fact-sheet as of 13 December 2013
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Updated to include new press release on 11 December 2013
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Updated to include announcement of match-funding for War Child's Children of Syria appeal
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Latest news update: Match funding for Oxfam winter appeal
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Latest news update: UK backs Save the Children appeal for Syria (24 November 2013) Latest news update: More support for vulnerable refugees in Jordan (13 November 2013)
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Latest news update: New instalment of support for Syrian refugees in Jordan
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Updated fact sheet as on 5 November 2013
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Addition of new update on 31 October on UNICEF match funding
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Updated with new factsheet pdf attachment dated 22 October 2013
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Lost Generation initiative – match funding opportunity added
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Updated to reflect announcement of further funding to UNICEF to support Syrian refugees in Iraq
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Latest news update: UK support for Palestinians made refugees twice over by Syria crisis (21 October 2013)
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Updated Syria humanitarian factsheet added
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Updated with school twinning scheme news story (11 October)
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Page content updated and condensed for usability - previous announcements converted into links
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Updated factsheet as of 25 September 2013
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Latest news update: Nick Clegg announces further £100 million at United Nations
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23/09/12 new factsheet
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Updated with £30 million allocation for Syrian children
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Updates to some figures that were out of date in Facts and Stats section
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Added video of UK aid support to Syrian refugees in Jordan
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Latest news update: Act now and step up support for Syria's refugee children, says Greening
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Factsheet updated on 6 Sept
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Latest news update: Prime Minister announces UK will provide £52 million in new humanitarian funding
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Latest news update - a total of 2 million refugees have now fled Syria
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Updated with latest humanitarian aid factsheet Updated format of page with contents box, further related links and removed an expired link to a written report by Philip Upson on the old dfid.gov.uk website
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Updated key facts and stats as of 19 August 2013
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News update: 1 million children refugees
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Updated with most recent factsheet, dated 12 August 2013
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Updated Factsheet added (5 Aug 2013)
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Updated with Justine Greening response to Syria crisis deaths reaching 100,000
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changed totalling error on factsheet
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uploaded latest factsheet
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updated syria factsheet
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Adding an inforgraphic on UK humanitarian support in Syria and the region - June 2013
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Updated on 18 June 2013 with latest factsheet
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Updated on 21 May 2013 with new factsheet
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Updated on 14 May 2013 with latest factsheet
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Updated factsheet as of 19 April 2013
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With updated figures as of 19 April 2013
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Updated on 18 April 2013 with new latest factsheet
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First published.