Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance they, and governments of other countries, are providing to Venezuelans seeking refuge in Colombia.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The UK has committed a package of £6.5 million in humanitarian aid to respond to the most severe needs in Venezuela and the region, including funding the International Federation of the Red Cross in Colombia. The UK has provided a further £8 million to the World Bank’s Global Concessional Financing Facility (GCFF) for Colombia, helping to unlock USD$750 million of concessional loans to support Colombia in continuing to host more than a million Venezuelans.
DFID has had staff deployed in the region since last year and this package builds on our core support to the UN and Red Cross, operating since the early stages of the crisis.
Other donors are also providing significant support through the UN, Red Cross and NGOs.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to the United Nations Refugee Agency statement of 19 May that refugees and migrants should not be brought back to detention camps in Libya because they lack food, water and medical care.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
We remain deeply concerned by the situation in Libya and the conditions in Libyan detention centres. The UK is clear that all parties to the conflict must commit to a ceasefire, ensure unconditional humanitarian access, and return to political talks. All parties to the conflict must do all they can to prevent any further loss of life, including by respecting their obligations under International Humanitarian Law, and engage with the UN and humanitarian community. This is essential to ensure aid can reach those in need and to allow for civilians, including refugees and migrants, to be immediately evacuated to safety.
The UK has announced a contribution of £1 million to the UN Flash Appeal. This includes funding to the World Health Organisation to deliver life-saving medical care, and funding to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to improve humanitarian access for agencies on the ground. The UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has released $2 million to provide life-saving assistance to civilians caught up in the fighting, including vulnerable migrants and refugees. The UK was the biggest donor to the CERF in 2018, providing £114.3 million.
The Minister of State for the Middle East raised the plight of people in detention centres with the Libyan Deputy Minister last week.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they, with their allies and international organisations, are taking to prevent the displaced persons camps in Syria at Al-Hawl, Al Roj and Rukban from becoming permanent.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The UK strongly believes that displaced persons camps in Syria, including Al-Hol, Al Roj and Rukban, should not become permanent, and hope that all Syrians currently living in such camps will be able to return home in due course. We support Syrians’ right to return home voluntarily, in safety and with dignity, in line with international humanitarian law, but only when conditions are right for this to happen.
For many, returns will not be possible without an end to the conflict in Syria. We continue to support the UN-facilitated political process for Syria, which aims to reach a lasting settlement to the conflict that protects the rights of all Syrians. Alongside this, we are also using UK Aid to support those who do wish to return home from IDP camps. For example, we are supporting education, vocational training and job creation, and contributing to the restoration of basic services. However, for the millions of Syrians who do currently remain in IDP camps across Syria, we continue to provide life-saving assistance, including providing essential food, water and sanitation, shelter and healthcare.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will meet with Medical Aid for Palestinians and other non-governmental organisations working in Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Lebanon and Jordan to discuss health problems affecting the population of those areas, following violence, blockades, and United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East budgetary restraints.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The UK regularly meets with a range of organisations to discuss healthcare for Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and surrounding countries, including Medical Aid for Palestinians, the World Health Organisation, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The UK has made a commitment to UNRWA of up to £80m over the next two years, to help provide medical services and education to Palestinian refugees living across the Middle East. The UK has also provided £3.5m of support to the International Committee of the Red Cross Appeal over the last year to help the healthcare system, particularly in Gaza.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their most recent assessment of the conditions for refugees and migrants (1) detained in Libya, and (2) prevented from crossing the Mediterranean; and what plans they have, if any, to improve those conditions.
Answered by Lord Bates
The UK Government remains deeply concerned about the conditions for refugees and migrants in detention centres in Libya. These centres are the responsibility of the Libyan authorities, which is why we continue to urge the Libyan authorities to pursue alternatives to detention, and to put in place a better functioning migration system that respects human rights. Where possible, UK aid provides humanitarian support to vulnerable migrants and refugees held in the centres, through the provision of blankets, clothes and legal assistance. In addition, we are working with the European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF) to improve the conditions for migrants in detention centres.
These efforts form part of our approach to help protect migrants on route to and inside Libya. As part of our £75 million migration programme covering the whole route from West Africa via the Sahel to Libya, we have allocated up to £5 million towards humanitarian assistance and protection for migrants and refugees in Libya. The UK is also supporting assisted voluntary returns, helping to tackle people smuggling, and working intensively to support the political process to end the conflict in Libya.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are aware of reports that Israel intends to remove United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East schools in East Jerusalem; and whether they intend to make representations to the government of Israel in this regard.
Answered by Lord Bates
UK Officials have contacted UNRWA following media reports surrounding the future of UNRWA schools in East Jerusalem. UNRWA stated that they have not received any official indication that there will be any change to their operation in East Jerusalem.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their most recent assessment of the impact on public health in Palestine of (1) the reduction in food aid provided by the World Food Programme, and (2) the level of availability of antibiotics and other medical supplies, water, power and fuel in Gaza.
Answered by Lord Bates
DFID continually assesses the humanitarian context in Gaza, including in the health sector, which remains under significant strain. Recent information from the World Food Programme states that cuts in its funding will affect 193,000 of the poorest people in Gaza and the West Bank as of January 2019. High food insecurity and poverty rates in Gaza contribute to the dire humanitarian situation. Although the recent increase in electricity supply has positively impacted health facilities, there is still a major shortage of essential drugs, including antibiotics and other medical supplies. Movement restrictions on patients seeking medical treatment outside Gaza and access to water also remain critical concerns.
DFID continues to provide assistance in the region, including providing food assistance to the most vulnerable refugees, supporting urgent health needs, preventing the spread of diseases, and improving access to safe water.