Asked by: Lord Bishop of Southwark (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel about the scale of acute and long-term medical care available to those injured in the protests at the border with Gaza between 30 March and 14 May, including the provision of increased resources in Gaza and access to facilities on the West Bank and in Israel.
Answered by Lord Bates
The UK maintains regular contact with the Israeli authorities, and we most recently raised our concerns about the situation in Gaza with the office for the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) last week. UK officials expressed concern about the health system in Gaza, and reiterated the importance of unimpeded access and protection for humanitarian goods and personnel. Officials also urged COGAT to allow fuel to enter through the Kerem Shalom crossing and to approve medical permits for the injured.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Southwark (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to international donors to increase the payment rate as a proportion of pledged donations to the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan for Syria.
Answered by Lord Bates
We are working closely with other donors to ensure that where money has been pledged to the Regional Crisis and Resilience Plan, and its equivalent inside Syria, these pledges are fulfilled.
The European Union leads on tracking and public reporting of money pledged for the Syria Crisis. The UK continues to participate fully in feeding into these reports and encourages other donors to do so as well.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Southwark (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government at what level the UK will be represented at the second Brussels Conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region on 24 and 25 April; and whether they intend to press participating states and non-governmental bodies to agree a mechanism for timely and transparent receipt, disbursement, and accounting of money pledged.
Answered by Lord Bates
The Government’s representation at the upcoming Brussels Conference: Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region is currently under consideration.
The European Union leads on tracking and public reporting of money pledged for the Syria Crisis. The UK continues to participate fully in feeding into these reports and encourages other donors to do so as well.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Southwark (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking (1) to ensure that there is no reduction in the level of UK funding to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Syria, and (2) to aid the relief effort in neighbouring countries in 2018–19.
Answered by Lord Bates
DFID country allocations for 2018 and 2019 are yet to be determined. However, we remain at the forefront in delivering on pledges. In 2017, the UK met its pledge for the regional Syria Crisis Response, disbursing £508 million, or 102% of our pledge against the commitment of £500 million made at the April 2017 Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region conference.
The Government will also continue to provide assistance to support Syrian refugees in the neighbouring countries of Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Southwark (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for International Development:
Her Majesty's Government whether they have made any representations to the UNHCR concerning that agency's understanding of vulnerability, with a view to redefining that definition to include religion as one of the criteria used to identify those refugees most in need of assistance.
Answered by Lord Bates
Our humanitarian aid operates under International Humanitarian Law and is provided based on need. As such it is available to people of all faiths and of none. All our partners carry out comprehensive vulnerability assessments to ensure aid is reaching those most in need, including those from religious minorities as it is already recognised that religion may be a factor in causing vulnerability. DFID and UK missions overseas have regular conversations with UNHCR on these matters.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Southwark (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for International Development:
Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of Iraqis that have fled Daesh in Iraq who are now refugees in countries bordering Syria.
Answered by Lord Bates
As of July, the UN estimates that 257,476 Iraqi refugees who have fled Daesh are hosted in countries in the region such as Turkey and Jordan. Most people who have fled Daesh in Iraq are internally displaced; currently over 3 million Iraqis are internally displaced within Iraq.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Southwark (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for International Development:
Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to respond to the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, following the decision by the government of Israel to implement a request from the Palestinian Authority to reduce the flow of electricity supplies from Israel to Gaza.
Answered by Lord Bates
The UK is working closely with the UN to monitor the humanitarian situation in Gaza. We are also funding basic service delivery in Gaza through the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees. We urge all the parties to find a sustainable solution to the current energy situation.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Southwark (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for International Development:
Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that Iraqi and Syrian refugees in Jordan that belong to religious minorities are included in their assistance planning.
Answered by Lord Bates
UK aid is distributed on the basis of need, to ensure civilians are not discriminated against on the grounds of race, religion, or ethnicity. We are mindful of the challenges faced by religious minority refugees across the region and continue to prioritise reaching the most vulnerable, irrespective of whether they are from religious minority groups.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Southwark (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for International Development:
Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the definition of vulnerability as used by UNHCR to identify those refugees in Jordan most in need of assistance.
Answered by Lord Bates
UNHCR uses a robust set of vulnerability criteria targeting disabilities, income, age, and missing family members. Multiple partners contribute data to UNHCR’s analytical system, which permits better targeting of aid.
Following the World Humanitarian Summit, we and the international community have committed to improving needs assessments by increasing coordination and information sharing between donors and agencies.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Southwark (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for International Development:
Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the humanitarian impact on Gaza of the decision by the government of Israel to implement a request from the Palestinian Authority to reduce the flow of electricity supplies from Israel to Gaza.
Answered by Lord Bates
We are closely monitoring the current electricity situation in Gaza. This was initially triggered by a lack of fuel for the Gaza Power Plant, and exacerbated by a subsequent reduction in the supply of electricity from Israel, following a request from the Palestinian Authority. Gaza is considered a humanitarian priority for the UN and, though the humanitarian situation is deteriorating, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has not declared the current situation an ‘emergency'.