Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism and the effect of the Israeli Government's dual-use list on reconstruction.

The Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism (GRM) has been successful in importing construction materials to facilitate the reconstruction of buildings damaged during the 2014 conflict. Over 170,000 people have been able to carry out repairs and over 14,000 fully or partially damaged homes have been rebuilt. UN reports assess that the GRM has been less successful in facilitating the import of other “dual-use” materials; and that it is critical that the import of more “dual-use” items is simplified and expedited in order to facilitate larger infrastructure projects. A more comprehensive lifting of restrictions on materials entering Gaza, as part of a political agreement, is the only long-term solution.