Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 26 April 2018 to Question 136643 on Bangladesh: Rohingya, if she will make representations to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh supporting the UNHCR request that more flat land be made available to relocate families who are in danger of the effects of monsoons in that country.

The Secretary of State for International Development and Foreign Secretary wrote a joint letter on 20 March to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, asking her to save as many lives as possible by allocating additional land at lower risk of flooding and landslides, reducing density in the existing camps, and having evacuation plans in place. Minister Field made the same request to Minister of State Shahriar Alam on 27 March, and to Foreign Minister Ali on 19 April.

Following a visit by the United Nations Security Council to Bangladesh and Burma from 28 April – 1 May, we supported a UNSC press statement encouraging the international community to increase support to the Government of Bangladesh for emergency preparedness measures. We continue to work with the Government of Bangladesh and international agencies to support.