Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of an early season drought in North Korea and its impact on harvests, food production, health and levels of malnutrition in that country.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The humanitarian situation in DPRK is a grave concern. The UN estimates that rainfall levels are relatively low in North Korea and food production is subsequently estimated at about 5 million tons, the lowest in 10 years. 10.1 million people – 40% of the population – require food assistance.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, as part of their Official Development Assistance, they support campaigns for legislative change in other countries where such change would permit actions in those countries which are criminal offences in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
DFID is championing Sustainable Development Goal 16, which focuses on ‘peace, justice and inclusion’. We are supporting the strengthening of rule of law in a range of countries. For example, DFID’s Rule of Law Expertise UK (ROLE UK) programme is a collaboration with the UK legal sector to make its expertise, provided on a pro bono basis, available to strengthen legal and judicial systems in developing countries. While much of ROLE UK’s work is in the area of human rights, it does not engage in advocacy around legislative changes. DFID and its partners always work within the law of the countries in which we are operating.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans the Department for International Development has to support the training of Kalash teachers in Pakistan to teach Kalash children their own history and culture.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
DFID Pakistan provides funding to the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for education through the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Education Support Programme (KESP). This includes different teacher professional development programmes (both pre and in-service). Three new teachers working in the Kalash area have participated in the KESP supported pre-service teacher professional development programme, and one of these teachers is Kalash. From April 2020, all teachers in Chitral will participate in the in-service continuous professional development programme, including those who work in schools in Kalash areas. The content of these training programmes is focused on pedagogy, classroom management, curriculum, and equity but does not specifically include teaching Kalash children their own history and culture.
DFID Pakistan are in the process of designing a new programme for education support in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which will have an inclusive education focus. One of the outcomes of the new programme will be to deliver equitable education for all children to meet Sustainable Development Goal 4. There will be an increased focus on marginalised children such as girls, children with disabilities and ethnic minorities. The programme will aim to provide inclusive and equitable education for all, and an improved learning environment for marginalised children. The programme will also set up model inclusive schools in pilot districts to cater to the needs of ethnic and religious minorities.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the situation in Kachin and Northern Shan States in Burma and the impact of the ongoing conflict in those states; and what representations they are making to the government of Burma to seek unconditional and unrestricted access to all areas for humanitarian aid and human rights monitoring organisations.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The UK remains deeply concerned by the ongoing violence and continued lack of access in Kachin and Northern Shan States. Over 110,000 people remain displaced by conflict and within camps. We have committed £17 million to support the livelihoods of the most vulnerable and displaced in Kachin and Northern Shan through the Livelihoods and Food Security Fund (LIFT). We have also committed a further £37 million to support live-saving interventions reaching over 350,000 people since 2012.
The UK continues to raise our concerns with both the military and the civilian Government of Burma at every opportunity. The British Ambassador in Burma raised issues around access with U Kyaw Tin (Minister for International Cooperation) on 27 May.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking with international partners in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in response to the Ebola outbreak, to ensure (1) safe and dignified burials, (2) infection prevention and control, (3) community engagement and accountability, including risk communication, (4) psychosocial support, and (5) national society development.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The UK has supported the response to the ongoing outbreak of Ebola in the DRC from the very start. Our financial support to the WHO, other UN partners and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) covers the whole range of response activities, including safe and dignified burials, infection prevention and control, community engagement and accountability, psychosocial support – particularly to survivors, and broader health systems strengthening. The Secretary of State for International Development has approved the deployment of UK-funded experts into the UN system to help boost these activities. In addition, our funding through IFRC will help to strengthen the capacity of the National Red Cross Society which is composed of networks of local volunteers.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their most recent assessment of the number of (1) cases reported, and (2) deaths, as a result of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; what assessment they have made of the factors contributing to the spread of that virus; and what assistance they are providing to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to increase preparedness in provinces and health zones adjacent to the affected areas and in neighbouring countries.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
As of 9 June, there have been 2,056 Ebola cases in the DRC, 1,962 of which are confirmed and 94 are probable. There have been 1,384 deaths. However, actual numbers are likely to be higher given ongoing difficulty in undertaking response activities and the high proportion of community deaths. A number of factors are contributing to the spread of the virus, ranging from insecurity and access challenges, to community mistrust.
The Minister for Africa recently announced new UK aid funding to the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support their work during this response. IFRC’s appeal includes safe and dignified burials and preparedness in provinces adjacent to the affected areas. Moreover, the UK has been the leading donor for regional preparedness, supporting neighbouring countries to prepare for potential cases.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they will provide to the government of Pakistan to help incentivise parents from marginalised religious minorities to send their children to school, following reports that many such parents view school as a waste of time owing to the lack of opportunities in higher education.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
DFID education programmes support a range of interventions to improve equity and inclusion in education, targeting the most marginalised communities, including religious minorities. This includes providing secondary and higher education scholarships to help incentivise parents from marginalised communities to send their children to school. In Punjab, scholarships have been provided to over 50,000 girls from poor families that reside in the most remote and marginalized districts of Punjab, some with a significant population of minority groups. Since 2010, DFID’s skills Development Programme has trained over 332,000 poor and vulnerable people to improve their employment prospects. This includes more than 3,800 people from religious minorities. The programme aims to provide training to a further 5,000 people from religious minorities by 2021.