Written question asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench) on Wednesday, 14 July 2021, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 28 July 2021. It was answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Conservative) on Wednesday, 28 July 2021 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Iraq and Syria: Minority Groups

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the situation of the (1) Yazidi, (2) Christian, and (3) Mandean, communities in (a) Iraq, and (b) Syria; what plans they have to (i) recognise them as endangered communities and (ii) to identify policies to protect them; what assistance they are providing, if any, to these communities; and what assessment they have made of how any such assistance is protecting them.

Answer: The UK is firmly committed to supporting the rights of ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq and Syria who have suffered as a result of conflict and been persecuted, particularly by Daesh. We have contributed £28 million to the UNDP Funding Facility for Stabilisation (FFS), which is helping to enable the return of internally displaced persons, including minorities, to areas liberated from Daesh by restoring vital infrastructure and basic services.

Secondary information