Yet two days ago, my noble friend, who is now sitting on the Front Bench, repeated a Statement by the Foreign Secretary on the Middle East: war in Libya, Crisis in Syria, unrest in Yemen and Bahrain and crucial decisions in Palestine, not to mention Egypt and Tunisia.

In addition, events in Lebanon and what may happen in the future there are an important consideration in how we handle this Crisis in Syria - this is one reason why it is quite different from the Libyan crisis, for instance.

Critical questions that everyone was asking when we were in Lebanon were about how strong that support is and what Hezbollah's position would be as and when the Crisis in Syria deepens.

I ask the Minister whether the Government will sanction discussions with the8 March parliamentary bloc about the Syria Crisis.

We visited two camps during our visit to Lebanon, and it became painfully clear that the Syria Crisis has polarised opinion in an already difficult situation, so the Syrian problems are not helping the future of the Palestinian people living in Lebanon.

Does the Minister agree that the international community should look at how to assist Lebanon in handling the economic impact of the Crisis in Syria?

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have for providing humanitarian aid and security assistance to help relieve the unfolding Crisis in Syria.

Can the Minister confirm that the Government still support the efforts by the former United Nations Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, to bring a peaceful solution to the Crisis in Syria?

What role does he envisage for the Security Council in the ongoing Crisis in Syria?

As the noble Lords, Lord Howell and Lord Wood, and others have remarked today, the Crisis in Syria shows no sign of abating.

In the context of the Arab spring and with the ongoing Crisis in Syria, those issues are highly relevant and the EU's role is more important than ever.

Yesterday I hosted a meeting for MPs about the ongoing humanitarian Crisis in Syria.

The Prime Minister also emphasised the need to do more to solve the Crisis in Syria.

On the contrary, I have had the opportunity at this Dispatch Box to say how seriously I believe we should all take the Crisis in Syria.

Given the blocking stance taken by Russia and China on Syria, have they contributed any money to address the current humanitarian Crisis in Syria?

It also reached new conclusions on our response to the Crisis in Syria, and there were discussions on growth and defence.

With permission, I will make a statement to update the House on the Crisis in Syria - a crisis that is still intensifying.

As discussed with you, Mr Speaker, and as Labour Front Benchers have been advised, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is in Kuwait for an international conference on the humanitarian Crisis in Syria.

The pledging conference took place at a critical point in the Syria Crisis.

With permission, Mr Speaker, I will make a statement on the Crisis in Syria.

My Lords, this month marks the second anniversary of the Crisis in Syria.

Although we are all aware of the wider security and humanitarian Crisis in Syria, there is a very real, but less publicly acknowledged threat to Christians.

It is to the eternal credit of the state of Israel that it alone has sought to intervene in the Crisis in Syria, and its intervention was purely intended to prevent weapons transfers designed to allow Hezbollah to increase its military threat throughout the region.

I am sympathetic to much of the hon. Gentleman's argument, but a humanitarian Crisis in Syria has to be addressed.

Given the accelerating humanitarian Crisis in Syria, the Foreign Secretary will know that Oxfam and other humanitarian organisations are warning not only of the importance of diplomacy, but about the amount of weapons going into the country.

” There is already a humanitarian Crisis in Syria.

There is probably no more pressing concern than the Crisis in Syria, which the Foreign Secretary has described as representing, “the worst crisis affecting world affairs at the moment”, and the biggest humanitarian crisis today.

The Crisis in Syria suggests the need for a political solution there, but the election of a new President of Iran is an opportunity, not a problem.

We cannot understate the severity of the Crisis in Syria.

As the Crisis in Syria deepens, the pressure on neighbouring countries such as Jordan becomes ever harder to address.

That is becoming all the more important because of the Crisis in Syria.

International diplomacy has failed so far to resolve the Crisis in Syria.

I turn to the ongoing Crisis in Syria.

I commend to colleagues a very good document - this is straying into the interests of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development - on UK aid in response to the Syria Crisis, dated4 July.

My Lords, the Syria Crisis and, in particular, the influx of more than 600,000 refugees has had a serious impact on Lebanon's social and economic situation.

We are moving to a point where the humanitarian Crisis in Syria may no longer be the dominant factor in determining how the UK and the West in general react, but the credibility of western leaders and Governments could be a growing consideration.

There has been an ongoing humanitarian Crisis in Syria for almost two years.

We should be putting more pressure on Russia in future, at the G20 and other meetings, to get the Russians to help us to resolve the Crisis in Syria.

He was absolutely wrong, because war is qualitatively different from diplomatic action, from humanitarian relief, and from the kind of action we have taken hitherto on the Crisis in Syria.

Does he agree that the current Crisis in Syria brings into very sharp relief the crucial importance of the strategic bases in Cyprus, particularly RAF Akrotiri?

It is truly regrettable that the House last week failed to vote for a motion condemning the use of chemical weapons, and to back an international response to the Crisis in Syria.

Currently, DFID is providing £348 million in response to the humanitarian Crisis in Syria - a fact we should all welcome.

Of course, there are many disturbing scenarios by which the Crisis in Syria could become even worse than it is today, but if it does so, the international community and this House will have to consider our response.

On foreign policy, the United States and the United Kingdom have been at the forefront of international efforts to address the Crisis in Syria.

After that, I thought that I should come forward with a constructive suggestion for our engagement with the Crisis in Syria.

My hon. Friend specifically mentioned the Syria Crisis.

2 billion since the beginning of the Syria Crisis and we have been working across the EU to encourage all countries to contribute.

The humanitarian Crisis in Syria has reached catastrophic proportions.

However, not just the ICRC is involved; the whole international humanitarian community has been mobilised by the Crisis in Syria, and increasingly in the region.

The effects of the Crisis in Syria are particularly on our minds.

That stability is being severely undermined by the deepening Crisis in Syria.

We will continue to see these foreign engagements posing difficulties for parliamentary scrutiny, as we witnessed recently during the recall of Parliament for a vote on our response to the Crisis in Syria.

Does my noble friend agree that the most enduring solution to the humanitarian Crisis in Syria is a successful conclusion of the Geneva 2 talks and the implementation of the Geneva communiqué's plan for a transitional Government?

The UK has a proud tradition of providing protection to those in need, and this Government are committed to continuing to play their full part in the international response to the humanitarian Crisis in Syria.

Unfortunately, at this stage that has not been endorsed, but we continue to ask questions, as did the Prime Minister in a letter to Dr Rouhani, about the positive role that Iran could play in relation to a peaceful resolution of the Syria Crisis.

We have long had cross-party agreement about humanitarian aid for those suffering in the region as a result of the dreadful conflict and Crisis in Syria.

My hon. Friend is talking powerfully about intervention to help those who are suffering as a result of the Crisis in Syria.

I know that this is not primarily the Minister's problem but it does belong in our overall response to the Crisis in Syria.

The Syria Crisis is worsening by the day, with no sign of the Assad regime having any willingness to negotiate the political transition demanded by the UN Security Council.

The Crisis in Syria cannot be ignored just because of events that are happening elsewhere.

The Department for International Development, working hand in hand with the Foreign Office, will continue to focus efforts on ensuring that humanitarian needs are being met, while working hard to find a political resolution to the Syria Crisis - although seemingly not in the offing, that is ultimately the only way in which the region will find peace.

The Bill will also close a gap in our current legislation in relation to terrorism, which is particularly pertinent in the light of the ongoing Crisis in Syria.

He made some references to the history and debates surrounding intervention, and I agree with what he said about that, too, in that there are many roots to what is happening here, including the growth of sectarianism, of religious intolerance across the middle east and, of course, the Crisis in Syria.

As with the refugees from the Crisis in Syria, most displaced people are staying in host communities rather than in camps, which are very limited in the facilities they can provide.

The only sustainable solution to the Crisis in Syria is to reach a negotiated political transition by mutual consent.

The Crisis in Syria has placed many women and girls at risk of violence, exploitation and insecurity.

As we have heard, the devastating Crisis in Syria has created more than 1.

If we had had a debate before the Syria Crisis, we would not have emphasised education as much as we have today.

From the invasion of Ukraine to chaos in Iraq to the Crisis in Syria - and today we have been discussing the latest crisis in Gaza - the international community has to consider and act on many serious conflict and human rights situations, which occupy its time, energy and commitments, so I am grateful to the noble Baroness for ensuring that our focus has been brought back to the topic of human rights in the Republic of Sudan.

My hon. Friend made important points about the Crisis in Syria, together with the continuing instability in Iraq, which the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) also pointed out.

That is why it is so important that we support the international efforts to resolve the Crisis in Syria and that we support the Government of Iraq in finding a solution for that country that brings together all faiths and confronts the challenge that ISIL has brought forward.

The increase from 2012 has been driven mainly by the Syria Crisis, as many hon. Members said, but there have also been major new displacements in Africa, notably the Central African Republic and South Sudan.

Since the Crisis in Syria began, we have committed more than £600 million in humanitarian aid.

Does the Minister agree that we may have a temporary window of opportunity to reinvigorate international efforts for a political resolution of the underlying Crisis in Syria?

My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for International Development recently announced £100 million in additional funding, bringing the UK contribution to the Syria Crisis to £700 million.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development recently announced £100 million in additional funding, bringing the UK contribution to the Syria Crisis to £700 million.

If anything good has come out of the Crisis in Syria during the past two years - this is probably the only thing - it is that Syria at least acceded to the chemical weapons convention.

The UK has pledged £700 million so far in response to the Syria Crisis, providing food, medical care and relief items to some of those most in need, including children.

I would say very carefully that whatever your perspective on the Crisis in Syria, our recommendation is that you do not travel.

What steps her Department is taking to help children affected by the Crisis in Syria.

The UK has pledged £800 million in response to the Syria Crisis, providing food, medical care and relief items to some of those most affected, including children.

It means continuing our work to help the millions of refugees affected by the Syria Crisis so that they can cope with the lives they are now leading in neighbouring countries such as Lebanon and Jordan.

We are spending some £60 million on supporting millions of people who have been displaced by ISIL/Daesh, and we have pledged £900 million to answer the specific humanitarian Crisis in Syria - the biggest ever UK response to any crisis anywhere.

5 million refugees and vulnerable people in Africa, and an additional £100 million to help those who have been displaced as a result of the Syria Crisis.

Noble Lords will also be aware that the UK has been at the forefront of the international response to the humanitarian Crisis in Syria.

That means helping to stabilise countries where the refugees are coming from, seeking a solution to the Crisis in Syria, pushing for the formation of a new unity government in Libya, busting the criminal gangs that are profiting from this human tragedy and playing our part in saving lives in the Mediterranean, where our Royal Navy has now rescued over 6,700 people.

Briefly, I would say that he is, of course, right that there has to be a political solution to the Crisis in Syria.

That means helping to stabilise the countries from which the refugees are coming, seeking a solution to the Crisis in Syria, pushing for the formation of a new unity Government in Libya, busting the criminal gangs who are profiting from this human tragedy and playing our part in saving lives in the Mediterranean, where our Royal Navy has now rescued over 6,700 people.

Since 2011, the UK has been at the forefront of the international response to the humanitarian Crisis in Syria.

Evidence suggests that we need to keep reviewing the situation regularly across Europe, and that is why Britain has taken a lead in ensuring that we play our role in welcoming, as we will do very shortly, an additional number of Syrian refugees to the United Kingdom, but directly from those areas and countries that are picking up the biggest impact of the current Crisis in Syria - Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey.

The humanitarian Crisis in Syria has reached catastrophic proportions and is contributing significantly to the increased flows of people we are seeing across the Mediterranean and into Europe.

Given the current Crisis in Syria, it is instructive to note that Daesh are increasingly using suicide bombings involving children.

Yet the civil war in Ukraine, on Europe's borders, and the Crisis in Syria really matter to us.

Does not the onset of winter and the challenges it brings highlight the importance of the UK playing a diplomatic role in resolving the Crisis in Syria?

That is why we provide help and security for refugees affected by the Syria Crisis.

We can be proud of the work that we as a country have done to help people affected by the Crisis in Syria and latterly as they have arrived in Europe.

Today, as the House will know, the Prime Minister is at the G20 in Turkey, where he is discussing the Crisis in Syria urgently with other Heads of State.

There is a massive humanitarian Crisis in Syria: 250,000 people have been killed, there are 4.

Building on our humanitarian support for the Syria Crisis, to which we remain the second largest bilateral donor, we have committed a minimum of £1 billion to Syria's reconstruction in the long term.

Building on our humanitarian support during the Syria Crisis - we remain the second largest bilateral donor - we have committed a minimum of £1 billion to Syria's reconstruction in the long term.

The Crisis in Syria has truly become a regional conflict, not just because of the impact of Islamic State, but because of the increasingly concerning refugee crisis.

We are also committed to supporting those affected by the Crisis in Syria by delivering £1.

Finding a long-term peaceful resolution to the Syria Crisis will obviously be complex and require significant diplomatic effort, but one thing on which we should be able to agree is the need for adherence to international humanitarian law.

In the end, the only thing that will really solve the Syria Crisis is a political resolution.

I believe that the Syria Crisis conference can go ahead even before that peace has been achieved.

Last week in Beijing I launched a new visa service to boost tourism and business, announced plans to build a new embassy to better serve our interests and reflect the level of our bilateral relationship, and reaffirmed the common approach with a common statement on the Syria Crisis.

1 billion in humanitarian aid for the Syria Crisis, but it is also why we have a resettlement scheme for the most vulnerable Syrian refugees - those in the most need.

It means more has been raised in the first five weeks of this year for the Syria Crisis than in the whole of 2015.

Our work on the Syria Crisis gives people in the region hope for a better future, and is also firmly in Britain's national interest.

I would be happy to write to her about some of our plans to make sure that women stay at the centre of our thoughts in the international response to the Syria Crisis.

I voted against the motion before the House, but not because I disagreed with the principle that we should play our part internationally to resolve the Crisis in Syria.

While the world focuses on the Crisis in Syria, it is all too easy to overlook the unfolding crisis in Africa.

The Crisis in Syria, the resulting irregular migration to Europe, the increased levels of Russian aggression and the continuing terrorist threat from Islamist extremism remain the principal threats to the security of the UK and UK citizens around the world.

At the Syria conference in London on4 February - which I left off the list I gave earlier - the Prime Minister announced that the UK will more than double its support in response to the Syria Crisis, to over £2.

As I have said, there must be a political solution to the Crisis in Syria.

The recent London conference on Syria raised more than $11 billion with the Prime Minister announcing that the UK will more than double our total pledge to the Syria Crisis from £1.

In addition, on4 February 2016 my right honourable friend the Prime Minister announced that the UK would more than double our total pledge to the Syria Crisis from £1.

1 billion bilateral support for the Syria Crisis and the additional bilateral commitment that we made at the recent London conference on Syria.

Our response to the Syria Crisis is a commitment of more than £2.

The Prime Minister led that excellent summit in February, which raised a further $11 billion for the Crisis in Syria.

The Syria Crisis, in addition to the political situation across the middle east and north Africa, has resulted in an ever increasing number of unaccompanied migrant children making their wayto Europe.

As a result of the ongoing Crisis in Syria - sadly, in no way unique or the first of its kind - too many children are facing perilous journeys.

That regime is responsible for the current Crisis in Syria.

Thirdly, the UK is playing a full role, alongside our partners, in addressing the humanitarian Crisis in Syria.

As the scale of the Syria Crisis has continued to grow, we have given continuous support, and taken steps to react and to help the most vulnerable at the heart of the situation.

I will say something about the Syria Crisis, because I think that as a country we can be proud of our Government's response to the Syria crisis, both in Syria, with support for those who are internally displaced, but also, crucially, through the work being done in neighbouring countries such as Lebanon and Jordan.

It is particularly acute now, with the Crisis in Syria creating the worst humanitarian disaster since the end of World War II, compounded by civil war and strife in Iraq, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Sudan and Libya.

We are also at the forefront of the response to the Crisis in Syria, where the United Kingdom has committed over £2.

Secondly, Jo would want us in this House to redouble our efforts to resolve the greatest catastrophe of our age: the Crisis in Syria, where the lives of more than 11 million people have been ruined while the international community has shown itself disorganised, ineffective and supine.

As the process of leaving the European Union unfolds, we will continue to face a large number of international challenges - the Crisis in Syria, climate change, and the threat of terrorism among them - and yet we risk seeing our voice in the world diminished.

We are clear, and always have been clear, that there cannot be lasting success against Daesh unless we resolve the political Crisis in Syria and create a regime that is acceptable to the Sunni Muslim population of Syria, giving them an alternative to the appalling offer from Daesh.