Sound track: Enthusiast by Tours, 2011. Licensed under CC 3.0
Sunderland people are divided over an increase in British aid to Syrian refugees.
Prime Minister David Cameron announced yesterday that aid for the refugees could double to £2.3 billion by 2020, which means 2016 will see the Government donating £510m.
The cash will fund education and work opportunities for victims of the Syrian conflict, who have fled to Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan.
SR News took on the streets of Sunderland to find out what people think about the extra aid.
Tilly Telford, resident of Sunderland, said: “Cameron should look after his own people, English people who were born and bred in England.”
Hannah Trotter, student at University of Sunderland, said: “I think, it’s the least we can do as a country which is not experiencing it, but I think David Cameron is doing the right thing.”
Kelly and Caleb, visiting from Leeds, also had their say.
Kelly said: “They’re going to give money to surrounding countries, but it goes against the policy of bombing them in the first place.”
Caleb added: “I don’t think Cameron has built up enough trust in people. He’s not doing it for the benefit of Syria. We should be sending over aid, and we also should be helping people come over here to seek refuge.
“They’ve lost their homes and they’ve lost everything. Just throwing some money at people isn’t going to cut it.”
More than four million refugees from Syria are in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt. Turkey currently holds the largest amount of Syrian refugees at 1.9 million.
A lack of funding and access to work means that most Syrian refugees in Lebanon receive just £9.26 per month, or less than 70 pence a day for food.
More than 80 per cent of Syrian refugees in Jordan are living below the local poverty line.