Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what estimate he has made of how much UK aid has reached people in the northern Gaza.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
On 3 January, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Ship Lyme Bay delivered 87 tonnes of aid into Port Said. Delivery includes over 10,000 thermal blankets, nearly 5,000 shelter packs and medical supplies to be transferred to Gaza through the Rafah crossing. This is in addition to 74 tonnes of aid previously delivered. We have also supported the United Nations World Food Programme to deliver a new humanitarian land corridor from Jordan into Gaza. 750 metric tons of life-saving food aid arrived in the first delivery in December and a second delivery of 315 tons was made last week.
The UK is supporting the Egyptian Red Crescent Society (ERCS), who are leading and coordinating the delivery of all national and international aid to Gaza within its auxiliary role to the Government of Egypt. The ERCS is working with other humanitarian actors, including the UN, to improve the tracking system of aid deliveries for this extremely complicated operation.
We have trebled our aid commitment this financial year and are working closely with partners in international agencies and in the region to get aid to where it is desperately needed.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterparts in (a) Egypt, (b) Sudan, (c) Saudi Arabia and (d) Yemen on maritime security in the Red Sea.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are working with allies and partners to safeguard maritime security and navigational rights and freedoms in the Red Sea. The UK takes threats to shipping vessels in the Red Sea extremely seriously.
The Foreign Secretary has recently discussed the Red Sea and other matters with his counterparts in Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The Defence Secretary also recently spoke with Yemeni President Alimi and Saudi Minister of Defence Khalid bin Salman, and Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, Lord Ahmad, recently spoke with Yemeni Foreign Minister Mubarak.
Despite the repeated warnings from the international community, the Houthis have continued to carry these illegal and unjustified attacks in the Red Sea, including against UK and US warships from 9 January. Consequently, on 11 January, we took limited, necessary, proportionate, and legal action in self-defence to degrade Houthi military capabilities and protect global shipping.
We continue to pursue all diplomatic routes.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether any UK aid has been refused entry to Gaza by the Israeli authorities.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
UK funded humanitarian aid supplies destined for Gaza are being delivered to the Strip. However, alongside significant congestion at the Rafah border, some items which Israel consider to be of potential "dual use" - civilian or military, such as solar lights and water filters, have been stopped and returned to Egyptian Red Crescent Society (ERCS) warehouses in Al-Arish. The UK is supporting the Egyptian ERCS, who are leading and coordinating the delivery of all national and international aid to Gaza within its auxiliary role to the Government of Egypt. The ERCS is working with other humanitarian actors, including the UN, to improve the tracking system of aid deliveries for this extremely complicated operation. This will help to provide more detail on the goods that have and have not been permitted to enter Gaza. The UK continues to press Israel to increase the flexibility and visibility on goods allowed into Gaza and improved efficiency of screening processes, and the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and I have prioritised getting significantly more aid into Gaza. The Foreign Secretary has recently appointed his Representative for Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories who will actively engage with international partners and those operating on the ground to help unblock bottlenecks to delivery.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what progress his Department has made on the provision of (a) food, (b) water, (c) electricity, (d) medicine, (e) fuel and (f) other aid to Gaza.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Getting significantly more aid into Gaza is a clear priority. The Foreign Secretary has appointed a senior official, Mark Bryson-Richardson, as his Representative for Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories to help drive forward this vital work.
The UK is providing £60 million in humanitarian assistance and has already delivered 74 tonnes of aid to Gaza. Earlier this month, a further 82 tonnes of life-saving UK aid arrived in Egypt onboard RFA Lyme Bay. UK funding supports the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and other trusted partners to respond to critical food, fuel, water, health, shelter and security needs in Gaza. We continue to urge Israel to increase the flow of aid into Gaza and continue to reiterate the urgent need for more humanitarian pauses. We are exploring all methods of delivering humanitarian assistance to Gaza to expand both the capacity and volume of aid arriving in Gaza.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2023 to Question 6846 on Gaza: Humanitarian Aid, for what reason he does not hold the information requested; and if he will make it his policy to collect information on the value of stockpiled aid goods unable to enter Gaza.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
UK funded humanitarian aid supplies destined for Gaza are being delivered to the Strip. However, alongside significant congestion at the Rafah border, some items which Israel consider to be of potential "dual use" - civilian or military, such as solar lights and water filters, have been stopped and returned to Egyptian Red Crescent Society (ERCS) warehouses in Al-Arish. We estimate the value of these items to be about £93,000. The UK is supporting the Egyptian ERCS, who are leading and coordinating the delivery of all national and international aid to Gaza within its auxiliary role to the Government of Egypt. The ERCS is working with other humanitarian actors, including the UN, to improve the tracking system of aid deliveries for this extremely complicated operation. This will help to provide more detail on the goods that have and have not been permitted to enter Gaza. The UK continues to press Israel to increase the flexibility and visibility on goods allowed into Gaza and improved efficiency of screening processes.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the report by Human Rights Watch entitled Israel: Starvation Used as Weapon of War in Gaza, published on 18 December 2023.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The FCDO is aware of this report. We support Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas, but it must comply with International Humanitarian Law; we keep under continuous review whether they are abiding by their obligations. The Prime Minister has made this clear to Prime Minister Netanyahu repeatedly and has been in close contact throughout. We recognise that there is a desperate need for increased humanitarian support to Gaza. We have trebled our aid commitment this financial year and are doing everything we can to get more aid in and open more crossings. We have also supported the United Nations World Food Programme to deliver a new humanitarian land corridor from Jordan into Gaza, with 750 metric tons of life-saving food aid arriving in the first delivery. Israel must also take steps, working with other partners including the UN and Egypt, to significantly increase the flow of aid into Gaza including allowing prolonged humanitarian pauses, opening more aid routes into Gaza and restoring and sustaining water, fuel and electricity.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he is taking to help secure the release of Alaa Abd el-Fattah from Tora Prison in Egypt.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Ministers and officials continue to raise Mr El-Fattah's case at the highest levels with the Egyptian government and have been consistently clear in our calls for his release, while continuing to press the need for urgent consular access. The Prime Minister most recently raised Mr El-Fattah's case with President Sisi on 1 December. The Foreign Secretary and the Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, raised his case with President Sisi and Foreign Minister Shoukry on 21 December. The former Foreign Secretary raised Mr El-Fattah's case on a number of occasions with Egyptian Foreign Minister Shoukry, including on 18 September. The Minister of State for Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell, raised the case with the Egyptian authorities on 15 November during his visit to Cairo.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the next shipment of aid for Gaza by the Royal Navy will take place.
Answered by James Heappey
On 31 December 2023, RFA Lyme Bay delivered 87 tonnes of aid into Egypt. The FCDO is coordinating the UK humanitarian response to ensure lifesaving assistance can reach the people who need it. The Royal Navy have not yet been asked for further support, but we remain ready to support as required.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will take diplomatic steps to help secure a humanitarian corridor in Gaza to enable the delivery of essential supplies to citizens.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Getting significantly more aid into Gaza is a clear priority. The Foreign Secretary has appointed a senior official, Mark Bryson-Richardson, as his Representative for Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories to help drive forward this vital work.
The UK is providing £60 million in humanitarian assistance and has already delivered 74 tonnes of aid to Gaza. Earlier this month, a further 82 tonnes of life saving UK aid arrived in Egypt onboard RFA Lyme Bay. UK funding supports the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and other trusted partners to respond to critical food, fuel, water, health, shelter and security needs in Gaza. We continue to urge Israel to increase the flow of aid into Gaza and continue to reiterate the urgent need for more humanitarian pauses. We are exploring all methods of delivering humanitarian assistance to Gaza to expand both the capacity and volume of aid arriving in Gaza.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they last held discussions on the future of Gaza with the governments of (1) Saudi Arabia and (2) Egypt.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government continues to engage regularly with counterparts from both the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The Prime Minister last met with the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, HH Mohammed bin Salman, on 19 October in Riyadh, and the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah El Sisi on 01 December, in the margins of COP 28. The Foreign Secretary last met with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Faisal bin Farhad Al Saud, on 14 December in London. The Foreign Secretary and I as the Minister for the Middle East met with President Sisi and the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sameh Shoukry, during our regional visit 20-21 December. In all engagements UK Ministers, including the Prime Minister, have reiterated the Government's position: we support a two-state solution that guarantees security, justice and stability for both the Israelis and Palestinians.