Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the effect of Israel's border restrictions and permit system on urgent medical care for people resident in (a) the West Bank and (b) Gaza.

The availability of some medical supplies and services in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) can be restricted by Israeli security procedures. A recent World Health Organisation (WHO) report noted increasing restrictions, notably permit delays or denial, for patients who have been referred for further care outside Gaza and the West Bank. For Gaza this is particularly acute, and is compounded by frequent closure by Egypt of the Rafah crossing, preventing urgent medical cases from seeking treatment in Egypt.