Britain will use part of its foreign aid budget to help meet the costs of accommodating refugees arriving from Syria, its finance minister said Sunday, in a bid to head off public concerns over the impact on local services.

Prime Minister David Cameron said Friday that Britain would welcome "thousands more" Syrian refugees, after an outpouring of emotion over the image of a Syrian toddler lying dead on a Turkish beach put him under pressure to act.

Cameron had previously refused to commit Britain to taking in more refugees in response to a surge in numbers reaching Europe.