Written question asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench) on Monday, 15 June 2015, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 29 June 2015. It was answered by Baroness Verma (Conservative) on Monday, 29 June 2015 on behalf of the Department for International Development.

Islamic State

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether aid to victims of ISIS qualifies as part of the ring-fenced overseas aid budget; and what capacity the Department for International Development has to support directly the victims of ISIS.

Answer: All UK aid spend meets the OECD Official Development Assistance (ODA) Reporting Directives, including that support provided to those affected by ISIL. To date, the UK has pledged £800 million to support vulnerable people in Syria and the region affected by the ongoing crisis in Syria, including those displaced by ISIL. In Iraq, DFID has provided £59.5 million of humanitarian assistance, as a direct consequence of ISIL’s atrocities. Access to areas held by ISIL is however extremely limited and the majority of UK Aid in Iraq is supporting those who have been displaced by ISIL’s brutality. We continue to call on all sides to the conflict to respect International Humanitarian Law and ensure free, unimpeded access for neutral and impartial humanitarian agencies to provide vital assistance to all those in need.

Secondary information