Asked by: Andrew Griffiths (Conservative - Burton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of violence against the Hazara people in Afghanistan; and what support the UK Government is providing to the Afghan Government to help protect the Hazara people.
Answered by Mark Field
We are concerned by reports of civilian casualties and displacement resulting from recent Taliban attacks in districts predominantly populated by Hazaras. We continue to monitor the situation closely, especially in Ghazni and Uruzgan districts. We understand that the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) are working to stabilise the security situation in both provinces.
The UK provides a range of support which aims to enhance the Afghan Government’s ability to protect all Afghan citizens, including minority ethnic and religious groups such as the Hazaras. DFID is a leading humanitarian donor and has contributed £42 million towards lifesaving humanitarian aid in Afghanistan this year. Through our contributions to NATO’s Resolute Support Mission, the UK is also committed to supporting the Afghan Security Forces to ensure their capability continues to improve in order to protect all ethnic and religious groups in Afghanistan.
The British Government continues to urge all parties to the conflict in Afghanistan to respect international humanitarian law, protect the civilian population and facilitate the provision of assistance by neutral and impartial humanitarian agencies. We urge the Government of Afghanistan to protect the rights of all ethnic and religious groups, including the Hazaras, in line with the Afghan constitution.