Asked by: Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the impact of the current sanctions regime on the flow of Russian oil into the UK; and whether he has plans to strengthen those measures.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK, alongside the G7 and Australia, has banned the import of Russian oil and oil products. We have also created the Oil Price Cap which prohibits UK and G7+ firms from providing services facilitating the maritime transport of Russian oil and oil products to third countries above that Cap. Importers must provide proof of origin to relevant UK enforcement authorities, to demonstrate that goods are not of Russian origin.
We continue to monitor the efficacy of our oil-related sanctions and, in coordination with our partners and will take further action if needed.
Asked by: Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce rates of conflict-related sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK regularly engages with the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), civil society and international partners on conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). We welcome DRC recently formally joined the International Alliance on the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI). UK support is wide-ranging and includes vital support to CRSV survivors through our humanitarian programme. Through our partnership with the Global Survivors Fund, the UK has provided livelihood, education, medical, psychological and legal support to over a thousand survivors of CRSV, as part of broader holistic redress projects co-created with survivors to meet their needs. The UK also funds an access to justice project for CRSV survivors in eastern DRC. Working with TRIAL International, it provides legal support to survivors as well as training and mentoring to magistrates, lawyers and human rights defenders to help bring an end to the culture of impunity. We lobby the DRC Government to push for the imposition of sanctions, through the UN, against individuals who have committed human rights abuses, and on 19 June, announced new sanctions against perpetrators of sexual violence in conflict, sending a clear signal that the UK will hold accountable those responsible for these crimes.
Asked by: Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to tackle food insecurity in Sudan.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The conflict is having a devastating impact on Sudanese populations, with 20.3 million people - 42 per-cent of the population - in need of urgent food assistance. In November, at the Global Food Security Summit in London, the UK pledged a further £14.3 million in humanitarian aid for Sudan, bringing our total support package to £36 million for 2023-2024, which includes some nutrition assistance. On 4 May, the UK Government announced £5 million of life-saving aid to help meet the urgent needs of refugees and returnees in South Sudan and Chad who have fled the violence in Sudan. This included, in Chad, £1.75 million for the World Food Programme to preposition food before seasonal floods and, in South Sudan, £1.5 million for the World Food Programme for food in border areas.
Asked by: Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether his Department is taking steps to help (a) the people displaced in eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and (b) reduce the outbreak of disease and hunger in that region.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The humanitarian emergency in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is one of the most catastrophic globally. 5.5 million people are now displaced, with the majority living in unacceptable conditions and at risk of food insecurity. In addition, climate shocks are impacting agriculture, livelihoods and fishing, increasing food prices (by 16 per-cent on average) and poverty levels and resulting in a deterioration of basic infrastructure. In response, the UN's System Wide Scale Up has been extended for a second time until end of December. The UK supported the scale up and urged for more resources and action from the DRC Government and other international partners. A 3-year £98 million UK funded humanitarian and resilience programme for crisis affected communities in eastern DRC where the food security needs are the highest has recently been approved. We are currently allocating funding to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) for Cholera, to the World Food Programme (WFP) for food security and to a new consortium led by Concern to improve livelihoods of conflict affected communities that will address disease and hunger.
Asked by: Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent assessment he has made of the progress of regional diplomatic efforts to secure peace in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK Government is committed to supporting efforts to build stability and reduce violence in The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) including through the UN Peacekeeping Mission MONUSCO, where the UK contributed £51 million in 2022/23, and have allocated £48 million for 2023/2024. The UK welcomes continued engagement from countries in the region. The UK strongly believes in the primacy of political process and we reiterate our support for the regionally led Nairobi and Luanda peace processes, which aim to counter the spiral of violence in eastern DRC. We continue to urge all parties and countries in the region to deliver on their commitments to revitalise these political processes and to turn commitments into tangible action to address shared security challenges, improve humanitarian access and reduce violence. The UK remains strongly of the view that dialogue, not violence, is the only way to achieve lasting peace in eastern DRC.
Asked by: Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to monitor the potential impact of the conflict in Sudan on its neighbouring countries.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The FCDO is monitoring the situation in Sudan closely, including the humanitarian and security impacts of the conflict on Sudan's neighbouring countries. On 4 May, the UK Government announced an initial £5 million of life-saving aid to help meet the urgent needs of tens of thousands of refugees and returnees in South Sudan and Chad who have fled the violence in Sudan. The UK is pursuing all diplomatic avenues, including Ministerial engagement with regional counterparts, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and African Union (AU), to end the violence and de-escalate tensions in Sudan.
Asked by: Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help aid the provision of (a) food, (b) medicine and (c) critical infrastructure in Ethiopia's Tigray region.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
In early December, the Foreign Secretary visited Ethiopia and saw first-hand the effects of the humanitarian crisis that has been caused by conflict and severe drought, with an estimated 28.6 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in 2023, including 5.4 million in Tigray. He saw the positive impact the UK is having, including mitigating the malnutrition crisis and the departure of UK-funded trucks to resupply parts of northern Ethiopia.
Over the last twenty months the UK has provided almost £90 million of life-saving aid to communities across Ethiopia affected by the crises, including Tigray. This support has provided emergency health supplies for 1 million people. Through the recently announced package of £14 million humanitarian support, funding is expected to reach up to 150,000 people with comprehensive health, water sanitation, hygiene and nutrition services across Ethiopia.
Asked by: Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with (a) NATO and (b) her other international counterparts on the detention and prosecution of British prisoners of war by Russian forces in Ukraine.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government of Ukraine is responsible for negotiations with Russia on the exchange of Prisoners of War and we are working closely with the Ukrainians to secure the release of all British National Prisoners of War held by Russian proxies in eastern Ukraine. The UK Government is also in regular contact with international partners, including NATO Allies, about violations of International Humanitarian Law by Russia and Russian proxies, including their treatment of Prisoners of War and civilian detainees. British Nationals detained by Russian forces and its proxies must be treated in accordance with International Humanitarian Law, including the Geneva Conventions. The UK Government has raised this issue with the Russian authorities and reminded them of their obligations under International Humanitarian Law.
Asked by: Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make representations to her international counterparts to support calls for an investigation into the deaths of migrants and asylum seekers at Melilla on the Morocco-Spain border on 24 June 2022.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We are concerned by the events of Friday 24 June on the border between Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Melilla, during which many migrants died. Senior FCDO officials have spoken to the relevant authorities in Spain and Morocco regarding the incident. We welcome the decision of both authorities to carry out investigations.
Asked by: Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Israeli counterpart on holding an independent investigation into the killing of Shireen Abu Aqleh.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
During a call with the Israeli Ambassador on 19 May, I made clear the UK's sadness at the recent death of Shireen Abu Aqleh and the disturbing scenes at her funeral in Jerusalem. I urged a thorough, impartial and transparent investigation into the events. The UK Ambassador to Israel has reiterated the importance of an investigation with the Israeli authorities. We call for urgent steps to de-escalate tensions and for restraint in the use of force. The safety of journalists across the globe is vital and they must be protected when carrying out their critical work.