Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking regarding the increase in reported cases of typhoid amongst Palestinian refugees in Syria.

The UK has been supporting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East’s (UNRWA) to ensure that the needs of highly vulnerable Palestinians are addressed inside Syria and in neighbouring countries. To date, the UK has allocated over £38 million to UNRWA to provide food parcels, relief items, hygiene packs, education and cash assistance for Palestinian refugees affected by the violence in Syria and the region. This includes £5 million of un-earmarked funding towards UNRWA’s appeal in Syria in 2015, which allows UNRWA to allocate funding to priority areas.

In August 2015, UNRWA was able to provide basic healthcare in Yalda on four occasions, treating 54 suspected cases of typhoid. UNRWA also distributed 400,000 water purification tablets provided by UNICEF.