London, Dec 26 (IANS): British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has ordered a review into the plight of persecuted Christians around the world and how much help they get from the UK.

According to the Foreign Office, the review, led by the Bishop of Truro, will look at government efforts to help some of the 215 million Christians who faced discrimination and violence in 2017, the BBC reported.

Officials said violence against Christians is rising dramatically, with an average of 250 persons killed every month.

"Britain has long championed international religious freedom," Hunt said, adding that the UK "must do more".

The Foreign Office said the review would "consider some tough questions and offer ambitious policy recommendations".

The intervention comes after an outcry over the treatment of Asia Bibi, a Christian woman who faced death threats after being acquitted of blasphemy in Pakistan.

Bibi spent eight years on death row until her conviction was reversed by Pakistan's Supreme Court earlier in 2018.