NORTH Wiltshire MP James Gray raised the plight of Syrians in Aleppo and Raqqa at the House of Commons last Wednesday.
During questions to the International Development Secretary Mr Gray described the situation as the “greatest humanitarian catastrophe of modern times”.
He asked: “Should we not now admit that there is precious little that we in the liberal west can do to alleviate the appalling circumstances in Aleppo unless we have the support of the United Nations and Russia?”
Responding, Priti Patel MP insisted that the UK was a leading provider of humanitarian support, and added that the Government was using all available diplomatic avenues.
She said: “In terms of the work that the government are doing, we must never lose sight of the fact that we are leading in humanitarian assistance and support.
“People are in desperate need, and we have the right focus on giving them all the necessary support.
“The other point is diplomacy. It is the job of the government to carry on putting on the pressure, and we must use all the avenues of international diplomacy to put that pressure on, where it is needed.”
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