By Judith Ugwumadu | 25 September 2014

The UK is set to spend a further £100m in humanitarian aid for Syria and neighbouring countries, International Development Secretary Justine Greening has announced.

The funding would focus on meeting both the immediate and long-term needs of children and young people, who she said were facing their fourth year of violence and uncertainty in the country.

The further funding commitment brings the UK’s total response to Syria crisis to £700m. 

‘In the last few days tens of thousands of Syrians have fled into Turkey to escape ISIL extremists, a further reminder of just how volatile the situation in Syria remains,’ Greening said from New York at the United Nations summit on Tuesday.

‘The rise of ISIL is a chilling reminder that we cannot allow this to become a forgotten crisis. Syria and its neighbours stand at a crossroads. We must show the children and young people of the region that there is an alternative to the bloody narratives of ISIL and the regime.’

She committed £50m for the No Lost Children Generation Initiative, which supports the public education system, including schooling for refugees, and mental healthcare for children inside Syria and across the region. 

Over £40m will be channelled towards cross border aid deliveries, including food rations and drinking water in Syria, as well as new support for the region’s refugees in Jordan and Lebanon.