Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of DfID's merger with his Department on UK humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The creation of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office allows us to bring together the UK's international effort and maximise our influence around the world, including in Gaza. Our recent £840,000 funding contribution is enabling the World Health Organization and UNICEF to purchase and co-ordinate the delivery of medical equipment, treat critical care patients, train frontline public health personnel and scale up laboratory testing capacity. The Foreign Secretary also recently announced a further £2.7 million funding to UN agencies to provide food assistance, medical supplies and personal protection for the most vulnerable Palestinians.
The UK Government remains deeply concerned by the situation in Gaza. The current situation is unsustainable. In addition to our commitment to funding, our Embassy in Tel Aviv and Consulate-General in Jerusalem frequently urge the Israeli and Palestinian authorities to take steps to improve conditions in Gaza. The UK will continue to work to help address the humanitarian situation and improve the lives of the people of Gaza.