Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2015-11-17.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports of the use of white phosphorus weapons in civilian areas by Russian forces in Syria and of the level of harm done to persons and the environment; and what action they plan, if any, as a result of that assessment.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We are concerned at reports that White Phosphorus was used in Idlib Province on 12th November. We have seen reports that this was Russian in origin but this has not been confirmed.

Protection of civilians in Syria is a priority for the UK. Attacks on civilians are prohibited by International Humanitarian Law. The UK condemns the indiscriminate use of weapons in civilian areas and calls on all parties to respect International Humanitarian Law. The UK will continue to provide support to civil defence organisations in Syria to protect civilians and save lives.