Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure that the humanitarian needs of people living in Myanmar are addressed, including access to food and shelter.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The humanitarian situation in Myanmar is extremely serious. Displacement and humanitarian needs are increasing, and the military junta is blocking humanitarian deliveries to some places in the southeast and west of Myanmar. We are increasingly working through small scale local civil society organisations which are able to mobilise community support and reach places the UN and international humanitarian community cannot access.
Through our humanitarian mechanism we provide the most vulnerable populations in Myanmar with access to essential services: water, sanitation and hygiene, nutrition, food, healthcare and shelter materials. The UK has on average provided around 14% of all humanitarian assistance through the UN's Humanitarian Response Plan, placing the UK among the top three humanitarian donors in Myanmar. We are developing our response and have provided £5 million for emergency displacement and needs since the coup.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure that international non-governmental organisations working across all 34 camps in Cox’s Bazar can facilitate access to education for Rohingya Children using the Myanmar Curriculum.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK Government, principally through the British High Commission in Dhaka, has regularly engaged with the Government of Bangladesh authorities in Dhaka and Cox's Bazar on the need to allow humanitarian agencies unhindered access to the camps to provide protection and critical assistance, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Government of Bangladesh agreed in 2020 to ensure Rohingya children had access to the Myanmar curriculum. Since then the COVID-19 crisis has forced the closure of all learning centres in the camps. Education partners have tried to ensure continuity of learning, for example by providing caregivers with learning materials. We hope learning centres will re-open soon, with measures in place to ensure the safety of pupils and teachers. This includes piloting the Myanmar curriculum. We continue to stress the importance of providing education and livelihood opportunities for the Rohingya refugees for their well-being and to prepare for their voluntary, safe and dignified return to Myanmar when the conditions are right.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Myanmar on (a) the de-escalation of the current crisis in Myanmar and (b) a long-term peace process involving all parties.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK is clear in its condemnation of the coup and the appalling violence by the military, which has left over 850 people dead. The UK is calling for a peaceful and inclusive political resolution to the crisis. Following the coup, Our Ambassador to Yangon attended an Ambassador's briefing with the military appointed officials, where he clearly set out UK demands and our opposition to the coup. We continue to call publicly for a return to democracy and the release of all those in arbitrary detention, including democratically elected politicians, journalists, civil society and foreign nationals. We are using all levers available to us to achieve this end, this includes sanctions and working to prevent the flow of arms to Myanmar.
We have also welcomed the Five Point Consensus on Myanmar reached at the ASEAN leaders' meeting in April and ASEAN's role in addressing the crisis and supported ASEAN's call for an end to violence, for restraint, and for a peaceful resolution. As was made clear in the communique after the G7 leaders, under UK leadership, made clear earlier this month the military must implement this plan without delay.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to (a) facilitate increased humanitarian access in Myanmar and (b) ensure that aid agencies and staff are protected.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The humanitarian situation in Myanmar is extremely serious. Displacement and humanitarian needs are increasing, and the military junta is denying humanitarian and commercial food supplies to some places in the southeast and west of Myanmar. We are increasingly working through small scale local civil society organisations which are able to mobilise community support and reach places the UN and international humanitarian community cannot access. The UK has used the UN Security Council to call for humanitarian access, including the session on 18 June. G7 Foreign Ministers under UK leadership made a clear call for humanitarian access at their meeting in May. The UK supported the UN General Assembly resolution on Myanmar, adopted on 18 June, which called for humanitarian access.
Humanitarian supplies and actors are increasingly targeted. We are adapting our humanitarian programme to respond to the changing context; increasing the use of remote management to minimise movements of humanitarian staff, engaging with ethnic armed organisations on security and supporting the community as first responders where we can.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
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 (a) assist with support for refugees at the Kutpalong refugee camp in Bangladesh and (b) work with local officials to facilitate long-term solutions for people living in that camp.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK Government regularly engages with the Bangladesh authorities in Dhaka and Cox's Bazar on the need to allow humanitarian agencies unhindered access to the camps to provide protection and critical assistance, including during the pandemic. I met with UNHCR last week to discuss conditions in Cox's Bazar. The UK has emphasised the importance of maintaining the civilian nature of the camp, as well as ensuring fencing does not block access in or out of the camps and to services. We have also stressed the importance of providing education and livelihood opportunities for the Rohingya refugees for their well-being and to prepare for their voluntary, safe and dignified return to Myanmar when the conditions are right.
The UK remains a leading donor to the Rohingya response in Bangladesh. At the launch of the Joint Response Plan on 18 May, we announced £27.6 million in new funding to the Rohingya response in Bangladesh, bringing our total contribution over £320 million since the crisis started in 2017. Our financial contribution will continue to deliver lifesaving aid to both Rohingya refugees and host communities.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to work with agencies at a local level to facilitate the removal of the fence surrounding the Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK Government regularly engages with the Bangladesh authorities in Dhaka and Cox's Bazar on the need to allow humanitarian agencies unhindered access to the camps to provide protection and critical assistance, including during the pandemic. I met with UNHCR last week to discuss conditions in Cox's Bazar. The UK has emphasised the importance of maintaining the civilian nature of the camp, as well as ensuring fencing does not block access in or out of the camps and to services. We have also stressed the importance of providing education and livelihood opportunities for the Rohingya refugees for their well-being and to prepare for their voluntary, safe and dignified return to Myanmar when the conditions are right.
The UK remains a leading donor to the Rohingya response in Bangladesh. At the launch of the Joint Response Plan on 18 May, we announced £27.6 million in new funding to the Rohingya response in Bangladesh, bringing our total contribution over £320 million since the crisis started in 2017. Our financial contribution will continue to deliver lifesaving aid to both Rohingya refugees and host communities.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to facilitate increased humanitarian access to the Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK Government regularly engages with the Bangladesh authorities in Dhaka and Cox's Bazar on the need to allow humanitarian agencies unhindered access to the camps to provide protection and critical assistance, including during the pandemic. I met with UNHCR last week to discuss conditions in Cox's Bazar. The UK has emphasised the importance of maintaining the civilian nature of the camp, as well as ensuring fencing does not block access in or out of the camps and to services. We have also stressed the importance of providing education and livelihood opportunities for the Rohingya refugees for their well-being and to prepare for their voluntary, safe and dignified return to Myanmar when the conditions are right.
The UK remains a leading donor to the Rohingya response in Bangladesh. At the launch of the Joint Response Plan on 18 May, we announced £27.6 million in new funding to the Rohingya response in Bangladesh, bringing our total contribution over £320 million since the crisis started in 2017. Our financial contribution will continue to deliver lifesaving aid to both Rohingya refugees and host communities.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support (a) national governments and (b) international NGOs to ensure that they have the capacity and resources to safeguard the lives of children fleeing the Myanmar conflict.
Answered by Nigel Adams
We continue to ensure that UK aid in Myanmar prioritises the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable people fleeing conflict, including mothers and children. The UK is one of the biggest humanitarian donors. Since the coup, we have provided over £5 million in new humanitarian funding for The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), UN, and local and International Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). We have also reprioritised over £2.5 million of humanitarian funding to International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs) to ensure they can channel support through local partners to reach displaced families.
Outside Myanmar, the UK has been a leading donor to the Rohingya response in Bangladesh, providing over £320 million since 2017. We are also supporting refugees displaced to Thailand via The Border Consortium, with a commitment of £3.8 million to the consortium since December 2020.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking in Myanmar to (a) facilitate access to education and (b) tackle barriers to educational access, including (i) early marriage, (ii) exploitation and (iii) sexual and physical violence.
Answered by Nigel Adams
Long term conflict, displacement and economic hardship are major barriers to education in Myanmar. The COVID-19 pandemic led to the closure of most schools in March 2020, with limited home-based learning opportunities. The February 2021 military coup caused violence and poverty, and although the regime ordered schools to reopen in June 2021, across most of the country students and teachers have not returned, for fear of violence, COVID-19, or legitimating the regime. Data from 2017 suggests around 16% of girls in Myanmar are married before they are 18. This is linked to school drop-out and often means the end to a girl's formal education.
The UK remains committed to ensure disadvantaged children can still access learning. For example, through the Myanmar Education Consortium, the UK is supporting 167,000 children in ethnic basic education provider (EBEP) run school systems to overcome barriers to access and quality or to study at home. Around half of these children are girls. The UK promotes gender equality across its work in Myanmar, this includes our support to women's rights organisations who challenge norms around violence and discrimination against children and women. We are also working with international partners to ensure continuity of education across the country, as far as possible.