Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North and Kimberley)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department plans to respond to the UN Relief and Works Agency’s flash appeal for an emergency response to the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
The UK is a long-term supporter of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNWRA), committing £65.5 million in 2019/20. Our funding contributes to UNRWA’s provision of health services for more than 3 million Palestinian refugees across the region. These services will play a key role in helping contain and address the spread of COVID-19. We continue to monitor the situation closely and are working closely with UNRWA and the international community to ensure a co-ordinated response to COVID-19.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North and Kimberley)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2020 to Question 6789 on Developing Countries: Nutrition, what the timescale is for his Department's adoption of the OECD policy marker for nutrition into its reporting systems.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
DFID is already taking steps to report using the nutrition policy marker. This includes ensuring there is guidance on how it should be used and to ensure it is applied consistently. DFID will start to report on the nutrition policy marker through the OECD DAC Creditor Reporting System for 2020 aid spending onwards.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North and Kimberley)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2020 to Question 6788 on Developing Countries: Nutrition, what steps his Department is taking to maximise the impact of its investments in (a) agriculture, (b) social protection and (c) climate adaptation on people’s health and nutrition.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
DFID invests in regular reviews and evaluations of its programmes and we use this information – as well as evidence generated by others – to inform the design and evolution of our investments.
This approach is being used to ensure new programmes in areas such as agriculture, social protection and climate adaptation have a positive impact on nutrition and health.
We are also continuing to invest in research – particularly in relation to agriculture and food production – to build evidence on the most effective approaches.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North and Kimberley)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether it is his Department's policy to make a financial commitment at the Tokyo Nutrition for Growth 2020 summit.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
DFID officials are working closely with the Government of Japan to prepare for the 2020 Nutrition for Growth Summit. This will be an important opportunity to secure new commitments to nutrition, to set the world on a better track to achieve the Global Goals and to help achieve our ambition of ending preventable deaths by 2030.
We are in the process of identifying the most appropriate and impactful commitment the UK Government can make as part of the 2020 Summit.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North and Kimberley)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people at risk of (a) malnutrition and (b) food scarcity as a result of climate change.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
Climate change is expected to increase the risk of malnutrition and hunger by increasing the frequency of extreme weather events and disease outbreaks. It will also reduce the quality, quantity and affordability of nutritious diets.
Countries that do not plan effectively for climate adaption are likely to see a reversal of previous improvements in nutrition and food security. Climate modelling has estimated that 2°C warming will result in there being an additional 540 to 590 million undernourished people by 2050. By 2050 there will also be an estimated 10 million more children who will be undernourished as a result of climate change.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North and Kimberley)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps he is taking with his international counterparts to help enforce of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
DFID supports implementation of the International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes in the countries where we work. Evidence shows that inappropriate marketing of breast milk substitutes undermines breastfeeding and that infants in developing countries who are not breastfed are more likely to get sick and to die.
We are concerned that manufacturers of breast milk substitutes continue to contravene the Code. Our position is not to partner with those companies that are uncompliant with the Code.
We provide technical assistance to partner governments to develop and strengthen their own national nutrition policies. Breastfeeding support and promotion are also components of our health and nutrition programmes in countries such as Bangladesh and Nigeria.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North and Kimberley)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps he is taking to incorporate the OECD policy marker for nutrition into his Department’s reporting systems.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
The UK worked with other Governments to support the adoption of the nutrition policy marker by the OECD. We also led efforts to develop guidance on how it should be applied. The new policy marker will significantly improve our ability to track aid spending on nutrition. We are taking steps to ensure we use this policy marker to best effect in our reporting systems.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North and Kimberley)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps he is taking to include nutrition objectives in his Department’s investments in (a) health, (b) social protection, (c) agriculture and (d) climate change adaptation.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
The UK is committed to addressing malnutrition as part of our pledge to end preventable deaths of mothers, newborns and children by 2030.
High-impact nutrition services are an essential part of health services and coverage. We are integrating nutrition into our health programmes in countries such as the DRC and Somalia and will continue with this approach.
People also need to have access nutritious and sustainable diets. We are supporting the roll out of climate-resilient crops and helping to ensure nutritious foods – including fruits and vegetables – are more affordable. We will continue to look for ways to maximise the impact of our investments in areas such as agriculture, social protection and climate adaptation on people’s health and nutrition.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North and Kimberley)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department is taking to ensure humanitarian organisations are able to operate in Aden, Yemen.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
The UK is monitoring the humanitarian impact being felt in the south of Yemen.
Although Aden port remains operational, we are concerned by a backlog of 15,000 containers waiting to be processed. Fighting across the south of the country has also closed many major overland routes, affecting the onward delivery of commercial goods and humanitarian services.
The UK is engaging closely with UN agencies and NGOs on the ground and continues to call on all parties to the conflict to facilitate safe and unhindered humanitarian and commercial access into and throughout Yemen, including for food and fuel, as set out by UN Security Council Resolution 2451 which was drafted by the UK.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North and Kimberley)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the processing time for humanitarian supplies imported through the port of Aden in Yemen.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The UK tracks Yemen’s imports and ports to monitor trends and predict pressure points in humanitarian supplies. We work with the private sector, non-governmental organisations and United Nations agencies to improve our understanding of how Aden Port functions and to advise the United Arab Emirates who are leading international efforts to improve Aden Port.
The UK regularly raises humanitarian concerns with both parties to the conflict, calling on them to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2451 and facilitate safe, rapid, and unhindered access for humanitarian and commercial supplies, including through Aden Port.