New UK Special Representative to Syria appointed

Ann Snow has been appointed UK Special Representative to Syria. She has taken up the role in succession to Jonathan Hargreaves.

Snow joined the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in 2009. She has served in Malaysia and worked on Iran, China and Counter Terrorism. She takes up the role after 15 months of full-time Arabic-language training.

Before joining the FCDO, she worked for an international human rights organization, the UK Parliament and as a Middle East analyst in the private sector.

"The UK Special Representative’s role is to lead the UK response to domestic and international activity on Syria and the region, engaging with key actors and partners in particular the Syrian opposition," an FCDO statement said.

After starting her work, the UK Syria representative said: “I am delighted to take up this role at a vital, albeit difficult time for Syria, which has now entered its 13th year of conflict. Syria continues to face a humanitarian catastrophe as injustice and instability ravage the country."

"The UK will not give up on Syria. Our aid and other assistance to the Syrian people now tops well over £3.8 billion to date, making the UK the third largest bilateral donor to the Syria crisis; our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis. We will stay active in our support of U.N. efforts, as well as in pushing to hold the regime and its backers accountable for the crimes they have committed against the Syrian people. I look forward to working with Syrians and all our partners in the region and internationally on all of these issues," Snow added.

Syria entered its 13th year of conflict this March, only one month after devastating earthquakes struck the region, exacerbating an already devastated county.