Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has plans to arrange for (a) medical equipment, (b) pharmaceuticals and (c) other health resources to be sent to Gaza.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office leads the Government’s response to humanitarian crises. On 16 October 2023, Prime Minister announced a £10 million package of aid to provide food, water, healthcare, and shelter for those affected in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. On 23 October 2023, the Prime Minister announced the United Kingdom will provide a further £20 million of humanitarian aid bringing the total to £30 million. As part of this support, the Department of Health and Social Care helped to arrange for 76,800 surplus trauma kits to be sent from RAF Brize Norton to Egypt by a Ministry of Defence Aircraft on 25 October 2023.

The Department of Health and Social Care will continue keep in close contact with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to understand whether it would be appropriate to provide further support in future.