Asked by: Baroness Uddin (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to reduce the risk of widening regional conflict emanating from the current situation in Sudan.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The FCDO is monitoring the situation in Sudan closely, including the humanitarian and security impacts of the conflict on Sudan's neighbouring countries. The UK is pursuing all diplomatic avenues, including engagement with regional counterparts, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the African Union, to end the violence and de-escalate tensions in Sudan, and mitigate the effects of the conflict on the region. On 4 May, the UK Government announced an initial £5 million of life-saving aid to help meet the urgent needs of tens of thousands of refugees and returnees in South Sudan and Chad who have fled the violence in Sudan.
Asked by: Baroness Uddin (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to support refugees fleeing Sudan into neighbouring countries.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
On 4 May, the UK Government announced an initial £5 million allocation to help meet the urgent needs of tens of thousands of refugees and returnees in South Sudan and Chad. This support will benefit the United Nation's Children's Fund, the World Food Programme and non-governmental organisations.
Asked by: Baroness Uddin (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to communicate with British citizens in Sudan in the absence of internet and power for mobile phones.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The safety of all British nationals in Sudan remains our utmost priority, and the FCDO is working 24/7 to support remaining British nationals. This is a complex and fast-moving situation and there are issues with electricity supply and mobile and wi-fi signal. The FCDO is trying to reach British nationals in any way possible, from Facebook groups to text messages and phone calls. Information on communication flights has been clearly communicated through the media and reported on channels such as the BBC World Service. British nationals should check the latest Travel Advice. As of 2 May the UK has facilitated the departure of over 2300 passengers, of which over half were British nationals.
Asked by: Baroness Uddin (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will work with (1) British NGOs based in Bangladesh, and (2) the Bangladeshi diaspora in the UK, in order to maximise the impact of emergency relief provision.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK delivers emergency relief in Bangladesh principally through Start Fund Bangladesh. The Fund is accessible to local, national, and international member non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in Bangladesh to respond early to emergencies. We provided £195,000 to START Fund to support the response during the first wave of flooding in May. We contributed a further £442,500 after the second wave of flooding in June.
Asked by: Baroness Uddin (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to provide emergency (1) technical, and (2) humanitarian, assistance to Bangladesh following recent flooding in that country.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK stands with Bangladesh at this difficult time. We provided £195,000 to support the response during the first wave of flooding in May. We contributed a further £442,500 after the second wave of flooding in June. This funding will support the provision of cash assistance, water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, search and rescue operations, shelter management and provisional education materials.