UK Government to Send Humanitarian Aid to Aleppo Evacuees - Minister

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The 10 million pounds ($12 million) worth of funding for Syria, channeled through trusted partners, will cover food parcels for nearly half a million people, blankets and mattresses for more than 100,000 people, medical supplies, equipment for childbirth and maternity care, basic surgical supplies and the provision of clean drinking water and improved sanitation.

"Britain is urgently sending blankets, medical kit, clean water and food that will mean the difference between life and death for those fleeing Aleppo and those caught in freezing conditions in the city after being systematically bombed from their homes by the Syrian regime and its Russian allies. Protecting innocent civilians must be an absolute priority. It is paramount that aid agencies now get the unfettered, secure access they need to save lives inside East Aleppo," International Development Secretary Priti Patel said.

The department stressed that the United Kingdom is currently providing life-saving support to thousands of civilians through UN and NGO partner agencies in the area.

The United Kingdom has also pledged to support Syrian refugees and people in Jordan who are hosting them, by providing health services, distributing hygiene basics, building new and repairing existing water pipes and ensuring children have protection and access to counseling and education.

Over recent months, Aleppo became a major battleground in Syria with the government troops seeking to liberate the city divided into the government-held western part and the militant-held eastern part. On Friday, Russian Defense Ministry's reconciliation center announced that Aleppo is now under full government control with the army operation to liberate its eastern districts from militants complete.

According to the United Nations, at least 300,000 Syrians have died since the beginning of the conflict and millions have been displaced.