Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what actions they are taking internationally to reduce over-crowding, improve safety and provide medical care for the inhabitants of Shatila and similar refugee camps in Lebanon.

We assist the residents of Shatila and eleven other refugee camps in Lebanon by providing funding to international Non-Governmental Organisations and to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the coordination agency for humanitarian assistance to Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and the region. We have committed £133.7 million for humanitarian activities in Lebanon to date and are the third largest bilateral donor to UNRWA.

UK funding provides cash to help urban refugees rent private sector accommodation. This moderates the numbers of refugees in camps and eases the pressures of overcrowding. To improve safety and security in camps we are supporting projects to address the causes of security challenges and respond to them when they arise. Medical care for camp populations is mostly provided through UNWRA. UNRWA spends 18% of its budget on healthcare provision and runs 27 health clinics for the refugee population offering services both in camps and in the urban environment. Our assistance to refugees in Lebanon forms part of wider UK action in the region. Since the onset of the Syria crisis the UK has committed £700 million for humanitarian activities in Syria and neighbouring states. Syrian refugees, Palestinian refugees formerly resident in Syria and host communities benefit from this funding.