Britain is to send armoured vehicles and body armour to opposition forces in Syria "to help save lives".
Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Wednesday the government will also offer "non-lethal" equipment, including search and rescue, communications, and disease-prevention materials worth £13 million.
Mr Hague told Parliament the Syrian people were in "dire need" of help and Britain could not "look the other way" in the face of the escalating humanitarian crisis and human rights violations by the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
However, Sir Menzies Campbell (Lib Dem) said many MPs were concerned "lest we might drift towards" military intervention in Syria.
Although Mr Hague refused to rule out the possibility in the future, he said:
"No Western government is advocating military intervention of Western nations into the conflict in Syria.
''The discussion is entirely focused on the degree of assistance that can and should be delivered to the opposition."
The BBC reports the US government last week pledged £40 million in non-lethal assistance to the opposition.
