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Written question asked by Lord Hylton (Crossbench) on Tuesday, 25 October 2016, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 8 November 2016. It was answered by Lord Bates (Conservative) on Monday, 7 November 2016 on behalf of the Department for International Development.

Middle East: Humanitarian Aid

Question

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what response they are planning to make to the statement by the UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs on 19 October on the Palestinian Occupied Territories and Iraq; and whether they intend to specify the headings to which they are responding.

Answer

The UK shares the concerns raised by the UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs to the Security Council on 19 October. As mentioned in the UK statement to the Security Council on 19 October, the government agree that efforts now need to focus on completing house rebuilding, reviving the productive sectors, stimulating exports, and creating jobs across the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The UK also continues to press for a sustainable political solution which will address Israel’s legitimate security concerns whilst opening up movement and access. The UK government are equally concerned at the spike in demolitions in the West Bank, and urge Israel to halt the systematic policy of demolition of Palestinian structures. The UK is a long-term supporter of Palestinian development through a range of programmes including private sector development, the delivery of basic services and support for over 5 million Palestinian refugees in the region.

On Mosul, the UK shares the UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs’ concerns for the protection of civilians, and has echoed his calls for all parties to uphold international humanitarian and human rights law. The UK has been an early and significant donor to the UN’s Mosul Flash Appeal, and we are working to ensure others follow our lead. In 2016, the UK has announced £90 million of humanitarian assistance for Iraq, with a substantial element supporting partners preparing and responding to Mosul. This takes the UK’s total humanitarian commitment in Iraq since the summer of 2014 to £169.5 million.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL2635
Session
2016-17
Subjects
Humanitarian aid Iraq Palestine
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk