Asked by: David Anderson (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions she has had with the Ethiopian government on the situation in the Oromia region.
Answered by Nick Hurd
I visited Ethiopia on 17th June and met with a number of senior Ethiopian Government officials. Our discussions covered a range of issues, including the situation in the Oromia region. I set out the UK Government’s serious concerns about the response to protests in Oromia.
Asked by: David Anderson (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has had with the Ethiopian government on the implications for her Department's supported programmes in Oromia of the response of that government to protests in that region.
Answered by Nick Hurd
I visited Ethiopia on the 17th of June and held discussions with senior Ministers in the Ethiopian Government, reiterating our concerns about the response to the protests in Oromia. I emphasised that civil and political rights are an important aspect of DFID’s Partnership Principles assessments, which inform decisions on the shape of our programme.
Asked by: David Anderson (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, in what ways Government aid to Ethiopia assisted in improving democracy and human rights in that country in 2015-16; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Hurd
A stable, secure and prosperous Ethiopia is critical to millions of poor Ethiopians and the UK’s national interest. UK support to Ethiopia, since 2010, has, for example, helped reduce poverty and child mortality by a quarter. Despite Ethiopia’s remarkable progress against the Millennium Development Goals, we have concerns about their progress on civil and political rights. The UK’s aid relationship with any government is based on an assessment of commitment to our partnership principles, including to human rights and international obligations.
DFID has supported Ethiopian civil society organisations to respond to the development priorities of poor people and to hold Government to account. In 2015-16 we have developed the capacity of institutions central to upholding accountability including; the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, the Ethiopian Revenue and Customs Authority, the Office of the Federal Auditor General and the Federal Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.
Asked by: David Anderson (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government is taking to eradicate polio worldwide.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The UK Government is fully committed to global polio eradication. With a cumulative investment of more than $1.2 billion, the UK is the third largest donor to the eradication effort, and is providing £300 million for 2013 to 2019. UK funding has contributed to a greater than 99% decrease in polio cases since 1988, with no cases reported in Africa for over a year. Only two countries – Pakistan and Afghanistan – are reporting cases of wild polio in 2015, meaning we are now closer than ever to global eradication.
The UK also plays a key role in sustaining global political commitment and in making sure that every penny we, or others, invest in polio is spent well. The UK actively participates on the Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s Polio Oversight Board and the Finance and Accountability Committee, ensuring a strong focus on results and delivering value for money. During the 2015 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, the UK re-affirmed our unwavering commitment to fighting polio encouraging others to join us in the final push towards global polio eradication.
Asked by: David Anderson (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what information her Department holds on (a) financial and (b) other support provided by the federal government of Iraq to internally displaced people in the Kurdistan region of that country; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Desmond Swayne
The Government of Iraq’s (GoI) Ministry of Migration and Displacement, the department responsible for addressing humanitarian needs, has a budget for 2015 of $850 million. To date, they have received and allocated $300 million of their budget from the Ministry of Finance. The Ministry of Displacement and Migration estimate that 40% of the budget received to date is reaching those in the Kurdish Region of Iraq (KRI).
Since summer 2014, DFID has provided £59.5 million to the humanitarian crisis in Iraq. This includes essential humanitarian supplies, such as food, water and shelter. In order to improve the effectiveness of the humanitarian response, including between KRI and GOI, we are also funding KRI and GOI coordination mechanisms as part of this support.