Migrant Camps

(asked on 24th April 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent steps she has taken to help (a) tackle overcrowding and (b) provide adequate sanitation in camps which support refugees and internally displaced persons.


Answered by
James Cleverly Portrait
James Cleverly
Home Secretary
This question was answered on 1st May 2020

Refugees and internally displaced people are amongst the most vulnerable to the COVID 19 pandemic. Many live in close quarters without access to proper healthcare or shelter, often in crowded camps where social distancing and regular handwashing are particularly difficult.

The UK is at the forefront of responding to refugee crises globally. Existing DFID programmes are already providing access to public health information, clean water, sanitation and health services for both displaced people and host communities. We are also working closely with all our international partners to coordinate a global response to COVID-19 that addresses the particular needs and vulnerabilities of displaced populations.

To date, we have committed £744 million in the international fight against COVID-19. Our most recent funding includes new support to the UN’s refugee agency and other partners to help install hand-washing stations and isolation and treatment centres in refugee camps, support vulnerable displaced families, provide protection and education services for forcibly displaced children, and increase access to clean water for displaced people living in areas of armed conflict.

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