UK to give £44m to Syrian opposition

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague allocated £44 million to support the Syrian opposition and lessen the impact of conflict in the country. In a press release, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) stated that £42m will be added to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Conflict Pool to support conflict prevention projects in the region, bringing the total funding from £39m to £81 million in 2013-2014. It has been announced that non-lethal equipment, including protective equipment, search and rescue training and communications support will be given to the opposition Syrian National Coalition (SNC). In a written statement to the Parliament, Hague explained that the moderate armed opposition in Syria would be given 5000 escape hoods, nerve-agent pre-treatment tablets and chemical weapons detector paper in response to evidence of chemical attacks believed to be ordered by the Assad regime. The MENA Conflict Pool, funded from a separate Treasury allocation, aids UK assistance in conflict affected states. A tri-departmental agreement between the Department for International Development (DFID), Ministry of Defence (MOD) and FCO has allowed for £21 million to be allocated to support efforts of reconstruction and political transition in Libya. Other countries like Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq will be receiving a total of £16m to help reduce violence, protect borders with Syria and assist refugees and their host countries. "The Middle East is vital to our national interests and security. It would be a major strategic error for our country or our allies to turn away from the region. Our priority as the United Kingdom is to promote a political solution in Syria, to help save lives and support the region, and to protect our own country’s national security," Hague explained