Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the UK delivered training to the National Directorate of Security under the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund’s Security and Justice programme.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
Before the fall of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the UK Government supported efforts to build the capacity of Afghan institutions, including the National Directorate of Security, Afghan National Police and Afghan National Army to help counter security threats to Afghanistan and the United Kingdom but the details of our work remain sensitive on national security grounds.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 January 2022 to Question 98300 on Afghanistan: Refugees, if she will publish guidance on how Afghan nationals can access financial support.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
We have no plans to publish guidance on assistance for Afghan nationals in third countries, as this is dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 16 November 2021 to Question 71332 on Afghanistan: Home Country Nationals, how many Afghan nationals with UK visas who served (a) as interpreters and (b) in other locally employed staff roles are in Afghanistan as of 5 January 2022; and what steps her Department is taking to facilitate the return of those people to the UK.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
Of the 311 principals who had been approved for resettlement under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme who we were not able to evacuate before the end of OP PITTING, 160 are currently known to be in Afghanistan and 50 in neighbouring Third Countries. Helping all those who want to leave Afghanistan and who are eligible to come to the UK remains a priority. The Joint Afghanistan Casework Unit, staffed by officials from the Home Office, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and Ministry of Defence, is taking forward the UK's commitment to resettle those eligible to come to the UK. The ARAP scheme remains open.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the UK government held (a) formal or (b) informal agreements with the Afghan National Directorate of Security on the delivery of work (i) for or (ii) with UK personnel in Afghanistan.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
Before the fall of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Government supported efforts to build the capacity of Afghan institutions, including the National Directorate of Security, Afghan National Police and Afghan National Army to help counter security threats to Afghanistan and the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what financial support she is making available to Afghan nationals to cover living expenses, who have received their UK visa under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy but who are still waiting in a third-country as a result of travel restrictions.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
If they are not being supported by others, the UK, through its Embassies and High Commissions, is able to provide reasonable real-life support to ARAP-eligible Afghan nationals in a third country awaiting relocation to the UK. Such support could include, for example, safe board and lodging and essential or urgent medical care.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to support NGOs to provide and distribute food parcels in Afghanistan.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
We have committed to provide £286 million in humanitarian and development support and are providing life-saving humanitarian food assistance to Afghanistan through the UN, NGOs and the Red Cross Movement on the ground, who are continuing to ensure vital aid reaches those who need it most. Between April and November, we disbursed over £70 million for life-saving humanitarian support, including for emergency food, health, nutrition, shelter, water and sanitation, and mine action. We continue to monitor this closely.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of levels of hunger and malnutrition in Afghanistan; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
Afghanistan is facing a serious and worsening humanitarian crisis. The UN estimates that 22.8 million people, 55% of the population, are now from high levels of insecurity, over a third more than at this time last year. We are monitoring the crisis and its drivers such as consecutive drought and economic uncertainty, including rising food prices and decreasing food availability, to inform our humanitarian programming. The Foreign Secretary attended the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers' Meeting in Liverpool on Saturday 11 December and pledged £75 million of UK emergency aid to the Afghan people to provide life-saving food, and emergency health services as well as shelter, water and hygiene services.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to support (a) Afghan Nationals and (b) the dependents of Afghan nationals who are in Pakistan and are at risk of deportation but are (i) not eligible under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy and (ii) at high risk of fatal Taliban reprisal in Afghanistan.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
Operation PITTING was the biggest UK military evacuation for over 70 years and enabled around 15,000 people to leave Afghanistan and get to safety. This is in addition to the families we had already welcomed under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP). Following rapid work by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Home Office and Ministry of Defence (MoD), we were able to 'call forward' a number of other people for evacuation, in addition to the ARAP contingent and British nationals. These people were identified as being particularly at risk. They included female politicians, members of the LGBT community, women's rights activists and judges.
We have created a new Joint Afghanistan Casework Unit, staffed jointly by officials from the FCDO, Home Office and Ministry of Defence, which is taking forward the UK's commitment to resettle individuals and those family members confirmed to be eligible. We have also made very clear that if the Taliban want international acceptance, they must ensure safe passage for those entitled to go to another country, and they must respect the human rights of all Afghans, including those of women and girls, and allow unhindered humanitarian access. We remain committed to supporting Afghanistan and we will use every diplomatic and economic lever at our disposal to restore stability to Afghanistan.