HUMANITARIAN CRISIS ON THE SYRIAN/LEBANESE BORDER

That this House is deeply concerned about the plight of the people of the Syrian town of Madaya following news reports that its 40,000 inhabitants are in desperate need of assistance, with food and water in severely short supply; acknowledges that Madaya, along with other towns on the Syrian-Lebanese border, have been under siege from Syrian regime forces for considerable time, leading to the deliberate starvation and severe malnourishment of thousands of civilians, including children; is disturbed to learn that the emergency in Madaya means that families are being forced to risk their lives in dangerous areas whilst looking for food, with many driven to eating leaves and plants as a last resort; understands that, whilst the delivery of aid to areas that are the subject of war and territorial dispute is difficult, the international community must recognise the urgency of the situation in towns such as Madaya; and urges the Government to bring whatever pressure it can to bear on Syria to ensure the safety of those who find themselves caught up in this humanitarian crisis.