Posted on 2016-02-04 | 06:03

Roger, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Syria, has called for the UK to take part in food drops to help civilians in Syria who are being starved by the Assad regime and other militias.

Roger has tabled an Early Day Motion calling for the UK to take action to alleviate the horrendous suffering caused by the use of starvation against civilians as a weapon of war, which is a war crime. People living in the town of Madaya were forced to eat grass and leaves and kill pets, and some have already died of hunger. In addition, people including children have been killed or maimed by Assasd’s forces when they attempted to leave besieged areas to access food or collect firewood.

People suffering from starvation in Syria have called on the international community for help and asked for deliveries of food aid. At present, delivery by road depends on the Assad regime granting access, which is frequently refused.

Roger has called on the Government to act immediately to airdrop food, fuel and medical supplies to these communities and alleviate the appalling conditions the regime is inflicting on Syrians. However, the response from the Government has been that to airdrop aid is “not the most effective way to improve the humanitarian situation” and would involve risk to aircraft.

Roger commented: “It is outrageous that the UK will drop bombs on Syria but refuses to airdrop desperately needed food and medical supplies to starving people. The UK’s bombing campaigns have done nothing to improve the situation, but here we have a chance to have a positive impact and help people who desperately need it, and save civilian lives.”

The Government’s claim that airdrops would be too risky has failed to convince experts in this area. Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, who was the commanding officer of the UK Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Regiment and Nato's Rapid Reaction CBRN Battalion, and who is now an advisor to NGOs working in Syria, commented that: “Air drops appear to be the only feasible way to get meaningful amounts of aid into the 17 besieged cities in Syria at the moment. The RAF are genuine experts at precision air drops and from the UK base in Cyprus it would be a relatively short trip to these besieged towns. What is key is that the RAF are given free air space to operate in and this is in Putin’s gift. Given this we could, with support of other NATO countries, shift huge amounts of aid by this in a short time into these areas and sustain them.”

Speaking after a Syria APPG event on civilian protection, Roger said: “The UK’s priority in Syria must be to protect human life. In addition to ensuring aid reaches those who need it, we should be working with the international community to create and police safe havens inside Syria, in addition to taking in our fair share of refugees.”