Written question asked by Gareth Thomas (Labour) on Tuesday, 4 November 2014, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 7 November 2014 (named day). It was answered by Tobias Ellwood (Conservative) on Friday, 7 November 2014 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Iraq

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of international efforts to assist the Yazidi people; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: UK aid is reaching displaced people across Iraq, including in the Kurdish region, where many Yazidis have fled to. In August, the UK conducted seven air drops to provide life-saving aid to Yazidi people trapped on Mount Sinjar. Through these airdrops, the Department For International Development (DFID) provided over 80 tonnes of aid, including 9,400 reusable water purification containers filled with clean water, 1,000 solar lanterns, and 1,000 shelter kits for the people stranded on the mountain. DFID continue to assess the humanitarian situation. They have provided £23 million of aid to Iraq including £17.5 million of funding to UN agencies, Non Governmental Organisation partners and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to ensure displaced people get the basic assistance they need - including food, shelter, water, sanitation and medical care.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 213227
Session: 2014-15
Subjects: Armed conflict International assistance Iraq Internally displaced people Kurds
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk