Internally Displaced People: Health Services

(asked on 19th May 2021) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure access to healthcare for internally displaced people abroad.


Answered by
James Cleverly Portrait
James Cleverly
Home Secretary
This question was answered on 28th May 2021

Internally Displaced People (IDPs) are disproportionately affected by lack of access to healthcare and particularly vulnerable to the impacts of COVID-19. The UK COVID-19 response includes contributions of £137 million to the Global Humanitarian Response Plan for COVID-19 and £55 million to appeals from the Red Cross Movement in addition to support to NGOs, to reduce transmission and mitigate the primary and secondary impacts of the virus on vulnerable populations. The UK provided an early and substantial contribution of £548 million to the COVAX Facility, a mechanism to deliver rapid, global and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines to underserved populations including IDPs. The UK e is also providing £340 million four-year core funding to the World Health Organisation including for its work in health emergencies, and helping to track the inclusion of IDPs, refugees and other persons of concern in national vaccination plans.

The UK is also advocating for longer term solutions for IDPs through the UN High-Level Panel on Internal Displacement so that IDPs are able to realise their fundamental rights, including access to health care. This is supported by UK-backed research into constraints to access to healthcare in conflict settings.

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