Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
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 United Nations on UNRWA neutrality.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK welcomes the active work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in implementing recommendations of the Colonna report. £1 million of the £41 million support for UNRWA in Financial Year 24/25 was earmarked to support implementation of the Colonna report and in June the UK was updated on implementation progress from UNRWA. The Minister of State for International Development met with UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini on 12 May where she reiterated support for the organisation and its critical role in delivering desperately needed aid and services to Palestinians. Israel must immediately allow the UN and aid partners to safely deliver all aid at scale to save lives, reduce suffering and maintain dignity.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he last met the Israeli ambassador to the UK; and what he discussed.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Ministers regularly engage with their Israeli counterparts to continue to urge for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and a full resumption of aid. I met with the Israeli ambassador to the UK on 20 May when they were summoned to the FCDO. I raised my opposition to the expansion of Israeli military activity in Gaza and condemned the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza and the West Bank.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
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 (a) his counterpart in Israel and (b) the United Nations on reports of potential links between Hamas and UNRWA.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We welcome the fact that the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has said there should be independent investigations into any misuse of its facilities by Palestinian armed militants, including Hamas. Following Catherine Colonna's Independent Review, UNRWA set out an action plan with detailed management reforms including stronger independent oversight, better detection systems, improved screening procedures, mandatory training for staff on humanitarian principles and more proactive donor engagement. As a result, we are assured that UNRWA is taking action to ensure it maintains the highest standards of neutrality. As the Minister for Development told the House on 28 January, she has discussed the issue of neutrality with UNRWA's leadership, including directly with Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini. She also spoke to UNRWA staff members on their work to implement the recommendations of the Colonna report during her visit to the region on 3-5 December.