Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the effect of the recent fighting around Aleppo on refugee numbers.

At the “Supporting Syria and the Region London 2016” Conference we co-hosted on 4^th February 2016, leaders came together to pledge more than $11 billion, the largest amount raised in one day for a humanitarian crisis. Commitments made at the Conference will help to create 1.1 million jobs and provide education to an additional 1 million children. The protection of civilians was at the heart of the Conference. Participants agreed to use their influence with all parties to the conflict to halt abuses, to allow humanitarian agencies rapid, safe and unimpeded access throughout Syria in order to reach besieged and hard-to-reach areas. The outcomes of the conference are reflected in the Co-hosts' statement available on the Conference website www.supportingsyria2016.com.

The UK condemns the actions of the Syrian regime, driving civilians from their homes in and around Aleppo, and the role of Russia in supporting this offensive. We are deeply concerned by reports that over 30,000 civilians have been newly displaced from Aleppo City and other areas of northern Syria between 1^st and 8^th February. This is on top of the existing 36,000 internally displaced persons from Aleppo City.

DFID continues to use existing funding to support our partners to be flexible in their responses and to enable the realignment of programming to meet those newly displaced and most in need. We also support the UN OCHA managed, Humanitarian Pooled Fund (HPF), which has announced a US$10.5 million emergency fund to meet the needs of the new displaced as a result of the fighting in northern Aleppo. The HPF funding will focus on meeting key health, WASH, food, shelter and protection needs.