Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much Official Development Assistance they provided to support Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh in (1) 2021–22, (2) 2022–23, (3) 2023–24, (4) 2024–25, (5) 2025–26, (6) 2026–27 and (7) 2027–8.
Answered by Baroness Winterton of Doncaster - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) provided to support Rohingya refugees and host communities in Bangladesh was £36.6 million in 2021-22, £20.2 million in 2022-23 and £22.8 million in 2023-24, £43 million in 2024-25 and £36.59 million in 2025-26.
For 2026-27, £18.15 million has been allocated for the response. £6.3 million has been disbursed to date, and 15 per cent of the funding is being held in reserve in line with central guidance. £19 million has been confirmed annually until FY 2028/29.
For detail on future funding, including in Bangladesh, I refer the Noble Lord to statement HLWS292 (https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2026-07-16/hlws292) made by the Minister of State for International Development and Africa on the 16 July 2026 (The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's planned ODA programme country and regional allocations 2026/27 - 2028/29). As noted in the statement, we will retain a significant humanitarian spend that will focus on alleviating the Rohingya crisis.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the United Arab Emirates regarding allegations by Human Rights Watch in their report Sudan: Colombians Linked to Atrocities Trained in UAE Bases, published in May, that Emirati military bases were used to transit paramilitary troops who committed atrocities in Sudan.
Answered by Baroness Winterton of Doncaster - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK's longstanding position is that all external support to the warring parties in Sudan only serves to fuel the conflict. We continue to have regular conversations with our partners across the region and the Middle East - including with the UAE - and work closely with those with influence to try to bring the warring parties to the negotiating table.
The UK has imposed an arms embargo on Sudan, continues to call for compliance with the UN arms embargo on Darfur, and is currently supporting US efforts to secure its renewal and where possible to extend its scope.
We have already sanctioned individuals suspected of committing atrocities in the war in Sudan, or fuelling the conflict through the supply of mercenaries and military equipment, and have recently targeted actors suspected of using the gold trade to bankroll Sudan's brutal war from beyond its borders.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure they support pragmatic solutions for the delivery of aid in Myanmar, including in areas not in the control of authorities; and what steps they are taking to ensure the decriminalisation of humanitarian aid.
Answered by Baroness Winterton of Doncaster - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to call for full, safe, sustained and unhindered humanitarian access across Myanmar, and for the protection of aid workers. UK aid reaches vulnerable communities across the country, including areas outside of the control of the authorities. We are able to operate despite the military's continued obstruction, ensuring UK assistance is meeting the needs of those in conflict-affected and hard-to-reach areas.
We continue to condemn the obstruction of aid delivery and the arrest or detention of humanitarian workers and press all parties to protect civilians and comply with international humanitarian law.