Asked by: Anna McMorrin (Labour - Cardiff North)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has had with her international counterparts in the (a) G7, (b) G20, (c) UN and (d) World Health Organisation on the scaling up of WASH facilities available in refugee camps in (i) Greece, (ii) Turkey, and (iii) throughout the Middle East.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The UK is at the forefront of tackling forced displacement and supporting refugees around the world, including support to Syrian refugees in Turkey and the Middle East, most notably Jordan and Lebanon. We also continue to offer support to the Greek Government to alleviate pressure and deliver sustainable improvements in the Greek migration system.
To date, the UK has committed £744 million in the international fight against COVID-19. We are a key contributor to the UN Global Humanitarian Response Plan which aims to ensure support to the most vulnerable groups including refugees and other forcibly displaced populations. This includes significant support to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to help install hand-washing stations and isolation and treatment centres in refugee camps, and increase access to clean water for displaced people.
We are working closely with the UN, International Financial Institutions, global health multilaterals, and wider international system to push for a strong and coordinated global response to the crisis and to ensure the most vulnerable groups, including refugees, are not left behind. As part of this, there is regular Ministerial and senior official engagement with the G7, G20, World Bank Group and other Multilateral Development Banks, UN agencies, and bilateral partners.
Asked by: Anna McMorrin (Labour - Cardiff North)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the need to increase the UK Government's contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency to meet increased demand for core services for Palestinian refugees throughout the Middle East.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK is a long-term supporter of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNWRA). Our funding helps provide education to more than 533,000 children (half of which are girls), health services for around 3.1 million Palestinian refugees, and social safety net assistance for around 255,000 of the most vulnerable.
The services that UNRWA provide 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 the outbreak.
Asked by: Anna McMorrin (Labour - Cardiff North)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of UK Government-funded nutrition programmes in developing countries.
Answered by Wendy Morton
DFID undertakes reviews of all its programmes, including nutrition programmes, on an annual basis, including whether intended outcomes and impacts are being achieved. We also invest in evaluating our programmes to enable us to learn what works and to adapt our approaches accordingly.
In 2020, we have been looking across DFID’s country portfolio to assess where there is scope to improve how we address malnutrition as part of the government’s commitment to end the preventable deaths of mothers, newborns and children – and considering current efforts to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Independent Commission for Aid Impact is close to finalising its review of DFID’s work on nutrition. This will provide important insights into how we can further strengthen the work we do, and we look forward to receiving the final report in September.
Asked by: Anna McMorrin (Labour - Cardiff North)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the extent to which her Department’s funding for nutrition programmes in low-income and fragile states throughout the Middle East is meeting demand for those programmes.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
Across the Middle East, malnutrition rates, as well as food insecurity levels, are very concerning, particularly in Yemen and Syria where rates are among the highest in the world.
In Yemen, last financial year (19/20), UK support helped UNICEF screen over 400,000 children for severe acute malnutrition and enabled 45,000 children to be enrolled in nutrition programmes after screening. The UK is the second-largest donor to the malnutrition response in Yemen and we continue to encourage other donors to provide significant funding to Yemen, including for the malnutrition response.
In Syria, last financial year (19/20), the UK reached over 170,000 children under five, or pregnant or new mothers, with nutrition interventions. The UK is one of the largest bilateral donors to the Syria Crisis since it began in 2011. We are at the forefront of the humanitarian response, driving other donors to help those acutely in need, including on key issues such as malnutrition.
Asked by: Anna McMorrin (Labour - Cardiff North)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has had with her international counterparts on the need to tackle (a) malnutrition and (b) food scarcity among vulnerable people throughout the Middle East.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
On Friday 17 April, the Secretary of State for International Development spoke with the Executive Director of the World Food Programme, David Beasley. Their discussion covered COVID-19, the need for humanitarian access in Yemen (to enable the delivery of food to vulnerable people) and the current food scarcity risk posed by locusts in the Middle East and Africa.
On Monday 27 April, I spoke with the Government of Yemen’s Foreign Minister, Mohammad Hadrami, where we discussed ways of stabilising Yemen’s economy (which will be critical for ensuring food imports and preventing a further deterioration in food scarcity).
On Thursday 23 April, DFID’s Acting Permanent Secretary discussed ways of improving humanitarian funding levels in Yemen, including in response to malnutrition and food scarcity, with the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Mark Lowcock.
Ministers and UK officials also remain in close contact with other donors on malnutrition and food scarcity across the Middle East.
Asked by: Anna McMorrin (Labour - Cardiff North)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate he has made of changes in staff numbers at each grade and salary band which will be needed in her Department after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Alistair Burt
DFID, at this point, is not projecting any change in staffing numbers. Any future requirements will be addressed via DFID’s annual workforce planning process which allows identification of future resourcing and capability requirements.