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Written question asked by Barry Sheerman (Labour) on Thursday, 25 February 2021, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 1 March 2021. It was answered by James Cleverly (Conservative) on Friday, 5 March 2021 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Syria: Armed Conflict

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to advocate for the protection of civilians in dangerous parts of Syria.

Answer

The UK continues to highlight violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in Syria. We support accountability efforts for the most serious crimes committed in Syria and have contributed over £13 million since 2012 in support of efforts to gather evidence and assist victims of human rights abuses and violations. UK support to the Commission for International Justice and Accountability has contributed to the first successful convictions of crimes perpetrated in Syria: a former member of Daesh and a Syrian official Anwar Raslan were both found guilty of crimes against humanity in Germany in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

More widely, the UK is also at the forefront of the humanitarian response, as one of the largest bilateral donors to the Syria Crisis. The UK focuses on helping those most in need, and is driving the wider international humanitarian response to do the same. We have spent over £3.5 billion in response to the regional Syria Crisis, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis and our aid provides life-saving support to millions of Syrians.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
158859
Session
2019-21
Subjects
Armed conflict Civilians Protection Syria
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk