£18.4 million to UNHCR to help Syrian refugees in Jordan
The Deputy Prime Minister has announced that the UK government is to send £18.4 million in aid for refugees fleeing the fighting in Syria.
The Deputy Prime Minister has announced that the UK government is to send £18.4 million in aid over 2 years to the United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) to provide vital assistance to refugees in Jordan fleeing the fighting in Syria.
The £18.4 million is part of half a billion pounds in aid being provided by the UK government to help victims of the crisis in Syria, including £100 million announced by the Deputy Prime Minister at the UN General Assembly in September. Speaking at a reception with British Muslims in Whitehall last night, he said:
I have been clear since the crisis in Syria began that the United Kingdom cannot turn a blind eye to these tragic events. This funding for refugees in Jordan is just the latest evidence that the British people will not stand by while so many people are suffering. As I said at the UN in September, I hope more countries will follow our lead and help to fill the shortfall in aid for the innocent victims of this conflict.
Over the next 3 months, the first instalment of aid will ensure:
- 25,000 people – around 5,000 families - get basic shelter, and that 35,000 refugees get solar lights
- 54,000 people who have newly arrived in Jordan get basic household goods to replace some of those they left behind, including blankets, mats, kitchen sets, water containers and mattresses
- 40,000 people get 3 months of cash support plus 2 cash supplements in advance of winter so they can buy for themselves the things they need most, including food, warm clothing and heating
- refugee registration so that all existing registered refugees plus any new arriving or registering refugees are issued with ID cards so that they can access all the services and support they are entitled to, making sure nobody fall through the gaps