Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 2 February (HL 4414), whether in the light of recent reports of shell shock among Gazan children they have any plans to ask the government of Israel to refrain from mock aerial fighter displays; and what funding or help the United Kingdom is providing to treat trauma in young children in Gaza.

We are investigating these reports and are considering raising this issue with the Israeli authorities. We have a regular dialogue with the Israelis regarding the conduct of the occupation and frequently raise issues of concern.

The Department for International Development (DfID) has provided £106.5million to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) General Fund from 2011-15. UNRWA has integrated psycho-social care into their education service delivery, for which we provide core funding.

DfID also supported some short-term psychosocial care in the aftermath of the conflict, between July and October. Through their Rapid Response Fund, they gave:

- £500,000 to CARE (their total caseload including adults and children was 182,000)

- £306,000 to International Medical Corps to support 3,000 children

- And £253,000 to Plan to support 4,844 children