Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for International Development:
What steps her Department is taking to support the safe and voluntary return of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh to Myanmar.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
Rohingya refugees must be allowed to return to their homes in Burma voluntarily, in safety and with dignity. The necessary conditions for returns are not in place yet. We will continue to work with governments in both countries and international partners to put these conditions in place and avoid premature returns.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the direct effect of activity in Yemen undertaken by the Government of Saudi Arabia on development and humanitarian outcomes in Yemen.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The UK supports the Saudi-led Coalition military intervention, which came at the request of the legitimate President Hadi, to deter aggression by the Houthis, and allow for the return of the legitimate Yemeni Government. We strongly support the work of the UN’s Special Envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, to end the conflict; and urge all parties to facilitate rapid and safe access for humanitarian aid in Yemen.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans are in place to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to Palestinians who will be made homeless by demolitions in the near future.
Answered by Rory Stewart
DFID’s core contribution to the European Union includes support to emergency humanitarian work in Area C. The UK also supports the Norwegian Refugee Council to provide legal advice and representation to Palestinian communities at risk of losing their homes to demolition or eviction. The UK continues to raise with Israeli authorities at the highest level our serious concern at the increase in demolitions of Palestinian properties in Area C of the West Bank and in East Jerusalem, most recently when the Foreign Secretary met Prime Minister Netanyahu on 8 March 2017.