Asked by: Baroness Brown of Silvertown (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the availability of (a) food, (b) clean water, and (c) shelter for Rohingya refugees in the Cox’s Bazaar area of Bangladesh.
Answered by Alistair Burt
DFID has worked closely with agencies on the ground to increase the supply of food being provided to huge numbers of refugees who have fled from Burma to Bangladesh and is determined to ensure that food is reaching those that need it. DFID is supporting the World Food Programme, which is managing food distribution. DFID assesses that current distribution has reached 70% of the Rohingya refugee population in Bangladesh.
While approximately 77% of the Rohingya refugee population have access to safe water, around a third of total water sources in the camps are believed to be contaminated. One of the largest cholera vaccination campaigns in the world is underway. The UK is the largest funder of the Gavi Vaccine Alliance, which is providing cholera vaccines for the campaign. We are also looking to increase chlorine provision and promote hygiene standards to reduce the risk of disease outbreaks.
Emergency shelter materials have been provided to 90% of the refugee population and will have been provided for all refugees by the end of November, after which humanitarian organisations will upgrade shelters to improve their resilience to disasters and extreme weather.
Asked by: Baroness Brown of Silvertown (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support the Government has offered to the Commonwealth of Dominica in the wake of Hurricane Maria and other recent extreme weather events.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The UK has committed £5m for critical and lifesaving humanitarian assistance to Dominica. Immediate relief efforts have focused on providing shelter, food and access to water, and the UK has used airlift capability from HMS Ocean to get essential supplies to remote villages. We have provided 3,200 tarpaulins for emergency shelter and are providing 780 shelter kits for families around the country. We have provided water purification to 5,140 households, about one quarter of the total affected, as well as funding for the Pan American Health Organisation and Red Cross. Following a World Bank needs assessment, DFID will work with key regional partners like the Caribbean Development Bank to support longer term recovery. DFID Caribbean already has programmes in place to support the construction of disaster-resilient infrastructure, including a specific project to make health facilities more resilient to hurricanes and storms.
Asked by: Baroness Brown of Silvertown (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the need for disaster relief and reconstruction funding for the Commonwealth of Dominica in the wake of Hurricane Maria and other recent extreme weather events.
Answered by Alistair Burt
Dominica suffered the worst impact from Hurricane Maria. The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and the UN assess that the entire population suffered direct damage to livelihoods and 90% of houses were damaged.
We have committed £5m specifically for Dominica, which proved critical in getting lifesaving supplies onto the island. We used HMS Ocean, including its 7 helicopters, to get aid into remote villages.
We have currently a team of humanitarian and logistics experts on the ground, working closely with the local authorities and specialist partners to ensure that aid continues to reach those most in need, through prioritised and coordinated distribution.
Asked by: Baroness Brown of Silvertown (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what information her Department holds of instances when the work of organisations in receipt of its funding or other support has been materially affected by the enforcement by the Government of Israel of Amendment 27 to the Entry into Israel law of 1952.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The full implications of this Amendment are not yet clear. The UK is aware of NGOs who have expressed concerns. We will be paying close attention to any potential impact on the work of our partners and monitoring the situation as it develops.
Asked by: Baroness Brown of Silvertown (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for the development of the Palestinian Territories of Amendment 27 to the Entry into Israel law of 1952.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The full implications of this Amendment are not yet clear. DFID holds regular conversations with our partner organisations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) about issues affecting their work and the development of the OPTs. We will continue to monitor this situation as it develops.