Written question asked by Harry Cohen (Labour) on Friday, 5 October 2007, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 8 October 2007. It was answered by Barbara Follett (Labour) on Thursday, 18 October 2007 on behalf of the Women and Equalities.

Refugees: Forced Prostitution

Question: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what assessment she has made of the extent and causes of Iraqi women and children who have become refugees being forced into prostitution; what action the UK Government are taking in this regard; and if she will make a statement.

Answer: The UK Government are concerned at reports, including from the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), that some Iraqi refugee women and young girls have been forced to resort to prostitution and children forced into labour or other forms of exploitation to survive. We will continue to support the efforts of UNHCR, who are working closely with host country governments to assess and address the needs of all Iraqi refugees.So far this year the UK Government have committed £15 million to support humanitarian agencies working in Iraq and the region , bringing our total humanitarian assistance for vulnerable Iraqis to over £130 million since 2003. We remain in close contact with our humanitarian partners to ensure they are adequately resourced to respond to needs on the ground.

Secondary information