Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Lord Astor of Hever (Conservative). It was answered on Thursday, 9 October 2008.

Iraq: Refugees

Question: My Lords, a report by the ODI in March this year stated that the international humanitarian action in Iraq since 2003 has, "““been piecemeal … hindered by insecurity, lacked coordinated funding, had limited operational capacity and patchy information””." Will the noble Lord take some responsibility for the Government’s part in this failure?

Answer: My Lords, the whole international community must recognise the features of the response that has been set out. The Government are pressing for, and have achieved, a unified approach through the United Nations. The United Nations is drawing those strands together, which will allow better delivery, and we accept that that is the way forward. Iraq is not a poor country; the crucial thing is to help the Iraqis, through technical help and training, develop the capacity to look after their own people and also help their neighbours, who are looking after the refugees.

Secondary information

Type: Oral question
Reference: 704 c330
Session: 2007-08
Oral question type: Supplementary
Chamber / Committee: House of Lords chamber
Subjects: Armed conflict Iraq Refugees Internally displaced people Iraq conflict
Link: View this Oral question on www.publications.parliament.uk