UK announces £50m aid package to Syria

The UK has unveiled a new £50m ($63m) aid package to help vulnerable Syrians.

In a statement, the foreign ministry said that the package would provide "immediate help to more than a million people including food, shelter, emergency healthcare, and protection for the most vulnerable".

It added that the money, which will be distributed via UN channels, will support "emerging needs including the rehabilitation of essential services such as water, hospitals and schools". 

Most of the funding will be funnelled into existing UN programmes, while the remaining sum is earmarked for the World Food Programme (WFP) in Lebanon and Jordan, and the UN's refugee agency to help Syrians in neighbouring countries.

"The fall of the horrific Assad regime provides a once-in-a-generation chance for the people of Syria," foreign minster David Lammy said. "We’re committed to supporting the Syrian people as they chart a new course."

Reporting by Reuters