Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
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 monitor the (a) situation and (b) safety of British nationals in (i) Israel and (ii) the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Consular teams have worked round the clock to support British nationals in the region. As soon as Israeli airspace re-opened UK government charter flights left Israel carrying over 340 British nationals on six flights. In allocating seats, we prioritised those who were most vulnerable, including those with medical needs, children, and the elderly. At this time, no further flights are planned. Commercial flights are now available. This remains a fast-moving and fragile situation, and plans will be kept under constant review.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
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 monitor the (a) situation and (b) safety of British nationals in Iran.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Our Embassy in Tehran, which continues to operate remotely, is closely monitoring the situation in Iran. We remain committed to ensuring the safety and security of our nationals, including those detained.
However we have long advised against all travel to Iran and warned British Nationals that in an emergency the UK government will not be able to evacuate or provide face-to-face assistance.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
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 his international counterparts on the persecution of Christians in Iran; and what diplomatic steps he is taking to help tackle that issue.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We condemn Iran's restrictions against Freedom of Religion or Belief. Christians, particularly converts from Islam, and other minority religions, continue to face severe repression in Iran. We were proud to help deliver the Iran Human Rights resolution, adopted by the UN Third Committee in November, which called on Iran to cease monitoring individuals on account of their religious identity and to ensure rights are upheld. We will continue to raise the issue directly with the Iranian government, including through our Ambassador in Tehran.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help ensure access to shipping routes in the Red Sea.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK and our partners have collectively sent an unambiguous message: the Houthis' attacks on shipping are illegal, dangerous, and destabilising, and we are determined to put a stop to them.
The Foreign Secretary and I continue to work closely with regional and international partners to increase pressure on the Houthis. We remain supportive of US action to degrade Houthi capability and welcome the continued operation of the EU's Operation ASPIDES.
We will always defend the principle of freedom of navigation and British lives at sea.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
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 provide humanitarian assistance in Sudan.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds
The Sudan conflict has created the worst humanitarian crisis in the world with 24.8 million people in need of assistance. The UK continues to provide humanitarian assistance to support people in Sudan and those who've fled the country. The UK's ODA this year in response to the conflict in Sudan is £113.5 million - the vast majority of which is spent on vital humanitarian aid and support for the regional refugee crisis. This funding includes support to key UN agencies such as the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF who are providing life-saving food assistance in Sudan. We are also one of the largest donors to the UN-led Sudan Humanitarian Fund (SHF) which provides support to local and national responders, Emergency Response Rooms and a consortium of international non-governmental organisations. The UK continues to support the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), including their work on emergency preparedness and response, protection of civilians, and providing life-saving healthcare across Sudan.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
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 improve global food security.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds
Improving global food and nutrition security is a priority for this government. Our diplomatic and humanitarian engagement is addressing acute need and famine risks in places like Sudan and Gaza. We support long-term solutions, working with partners to transform food and farming systems, critical for inclusive growth, climate resilience and nature protection. At the G20 Development Ministers Meeting in Brazil in July, I announced the UK would join the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty when it launches in November, to increase political support, unlock finance, share and learn, and work with partners to scale-up lasting solutions.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what steps his Department is taking to help increase humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
We have welcomed recent commitments from Israel to increase the amount of aid getting in to Gaza, including allowing the delivery of humanitarian aid through the Port of Ashdod and the Erez crossing - steps we have long urged Israel to take. We want to see Israel fulfil these commitments swiftly and in full. The Foreign Secretary discussed this with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on 17 April.
During that visit, the Foreign Secretary urged Israel to deliver on its promises of delivering more aid into Gaza through as many routes as possible by land, sea and air.
The UK has announced a £9.7 million package of military and civilian support to set up a maritime aid corridor to Gaza, including the deployment of a Navy ship, and £3 million of additional funding for equipment to support UN and aid agencies at new and existing land crossings to get more aid into Gaza. The UK's contribution will include trucks, forklifts, generators, fuel stores and lighting towers.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what steps his Department is taking to help prevent an escalation of conflict in the Middle East.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
We have condemned in the strongest terms Iran's direct attack against Israel on 13 April. It was unprecedented and reckless, and a dangerous escalation. The UK will continue to stand up for Israel's security and the security of all our regional partners. It is essential that we now prevent further escalation.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has made a recent assessment of the scale of food shortages in Yemen.
Answered by David Rutley
The UN's Humanitarian Response Plan for 2024 identifies that 17.6 million people continue to suffer from acute food insecurity in Yemen. The ongoing conflict, insecurity and economic crisis remain the main drivers.
Furthermore, the disruption to shipping in the Red Sea caused by Houthi attacks risks driving up costs of food and humanitarian aid supplies to Yemen. The Houthis have been attacking the very sea lanes that the Yemeni people depend on: 90 percent of food staples, such as wheat are, imported.
The UK is committed to provide continued humanitarian assistance to help alleviate the dire conditions faced by millions of Yemenis. This financial year (FY23/24), the UK's £88 million humanitarian pledge has contributed to providing food to at least 100,000 of the most vulnerable every month, providing lifesaving healthcare through 400 healthcare facilities and treating 22,000 of severely malnourished children.
The UK is committed to ensuring freedom of navigation and trade.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has made a recent assessment of the scale of food shortages in Sudan.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
17.7 million people in Sudan (37 percent of the population) are now thought to be experiencing acute food insecurity. This is likely to worsen in the coming months. As much as 70 percent of the population could be experiencing acute food insecurity by June. The conflict has now spread to the "breadbasket" state of Jazira, where food production, grain milling, storage and transportation, are heavily impacted. The UK is pushing for a concerted international community response. In November, at the Global Food Security Summit in London, the UK pledged a further £14.3 million in humanitarian aid for Sudan, bringing our total support package for Sudan to £38 million for 2023-2024, which includes some food and nutrition assistance.