Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of support available for refugees following earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.

We are closely monitoring events in Turkey and are coordinating with the Turkish authorities, the UN and NGO partners to ensure aid reaches those most in need, including minority communities and refugees in Turkey, and displaced persons in Syria. The UN-brokered agreement to open additional border crossings into northwest Syria for an initial period of three months is crucial to reaching the many displaced there. Even before the 6 February earthquake, the UN assessed 15.3 million Syrians required humanitarian assistance. For this reason, the UK has committed £3.8 billion in humanitarian aid to the Syria crisis since 2012. This includes £2.1 billion to support the over 5.5 million refugees in the region, including 3.6 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, and their host communities. The UK remains committed to continuing to provide support for both Turkish host communities and Syrian refugees in response to the sustained pressures they face.