Written question asked by Bishop of Coventry (Bishops (affiliation)) on Monday, 6 February 2017, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 20 February 2017. It was answered by Lord Bates (Conservative) on Monday, 20 February 2017 on behalf of the Department for International Development.

Iraq: Humanitarian Aid

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the current humanitarian situation in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and the existing levels of international donor support.

Answer: The Kurdistan region hosts over one million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 230,000 Syrian refugees. A combination of the economic downturn in Iraq and IDP numbers has placed pressure on services in the region. The UN’s 2016 Humanitarian Response Plan was developed in coordination with both the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government and has received strong donor support. It has so far received 90% of the funds needed to provide life-saving assistance to 7.3 million vulnerable Iraqis, including those living in the Kurdistan region. The UN will launch a new Humanitarian Response Plan for 2017 later this month.

Secondary information