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Written question asked by Lord Hylton (Crossbench) on Monday, 5 October 2015, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 19 October 2015. It was answered by Baroness Verma (Conservative) on Wednesday, 14 October 2015 on behalf of the Department for International Development.

Iraq: Internally Displaced People

Question

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the present situation of the Yezidis displaced from the Sinjar/Shengal region, irrespective of their current location; what proportion of those displaced are in camps; and what plans there are for protecting those outside camps during the winter.

Answer

UK aid is reaching thousands of vulnerable people across Iraq, include the most vulnerable groups, such as Yezidis. All UK-funded aid is distributed on the basis of need to ensure civilians are not discriminated against on the grounds of race, religion or ethnicity. The UK works with the Government of Iraq, Kurdish Regional Government, UN and the international community to support the rights of all minorities and to ensure our aid reaches those in greatest need.

Humanitarian actors have started the winterisation preparations. We regularly engage with the UN and other partners to ensure that the needs of those most requiring assistance are taken into account. As part of the humanitarian response in Iraq, populations outside of camps have been described as a priority target.

DFID announced an additional £20 million of humanitarian funding for Iraq on 29 September, taking our total contribution to £79.5 million since June 2014.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL2419
Session
2015-16
Subjects
Armed conflict Humanitarian aid Iraq Internally displaced people Islamic State
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk