Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the comments by Baroness Northover on 15 May (Official Report, col. 404), what measures are in place to ensure that the £12.1 million of assistance provided to the “moderate opposition” in Syria in 2012 and the present £170 million for humanitarian aid are not reaching Islamist insurgents whose aims and objectives are contrary to the interests of the United Kingdom.[HL414]
Answer
All the humanitarian aid the UK provides to Syria is channelled through trusted neutral and impartial humanitarian agencies that have a proven track record of delivering humanitarian aid in complex environments. To ensure that aid provided is not misappropriated we work with multilateral agencies such as the UN and International non-governmental organisations to carry out due diligence checks. We will continue to monitor the situation inside Syria and the region to ensure UK aid is not misused.