It is vital the UK maintains its legacy of support to Syria

Donors meet in Brussels today to pledge financial contributions to the humanitarian response in Syria – its civilians are worse off in 2021 than at any other point during the war, writes David Miliband

Cutting funding by more than half saves us little, but would be devastating for the 210,000 Syrians who rely on UK aid for food every month (AFP/Getty)

The tenth anniversary of the conflict in Syria, marked this month, illustrates what happens when warring parties are allowed to act with impunity. A recent survey by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) found that a staggering 78 per cent of health workers surveyed in northwest Syria had witnessed at least one attack on a health facility.

Violations of international law – including attacks on health services, and the denial of humanitarian access – are now a staple not only of this conflict, but those in Yemen, Libya and beyond. For the future of all Syrians, for the stability of neighbouring states and the implications for future conflicts, the war in Syria and its conduct and consequences should matter to us all.

Civilians in Syria are worse off in 2021 than at any other point during the war. Some 13.4 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance – an increase of 2 million in just the last year. What’s more, 12.4 million don’t have enough to eat. The conflict has forced half of all Syrians from their homes. They told us their experiences of being forced to flee the fighting twice, five, and even twenty times.