Written question asked by Ivan Lewis (Labour) on Wednesday, 22 February 2012, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 27 February 2012. It was answered by Andrew Mitchell (Conservative) on Monday, 27 February 2012 on behalf of the Department for International Development.

Burma

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the levels of child malnutrition in refugee camps on the border between Thailand and Burma; and what assessment he has made of the likely effects of changes to rations in such camps on such malnutrition.

Answer: Department for International Development (DFID) officials have regular discussions with the Thailand Burma Border Consortium (TBBC), including on the recent changes to the nutrition programme within the refugee camps in Thailand which they run. Preliminary results from nutrition surveys conducted in 2011 indicate that the average Global Acute Malnutrition rates in children between six months and five years of age across the nine refugee camps in Thailand stood at 2.3%, using Centre for Disease Control reference rates. This is below World Health Organisation rates of concern. DFID is carefully monitoring the ration changes which are being implemented by TBBC in 2012, including ensuring the most vulnerable people receive the rations they need.

Secondary information