The UK is concerned that humanitarian needs may be growing in North Korea. According to UN figures, 40% of North Korea's population were food insecure in 2019. We assess that North Korea's own restrictions at the border have prevented aid shipments from entering the country since January 2020, and that natural disasters last year may have reduced harvest yields. North Korea continues to claim that it has had zero cases of Covid-19.

We are unable to verify the humanitarian or Covid situations directly, because the border restrictions also forced the temporary closure of the British Embassy in Pyongyang in May 2020. Other Embassies have also closed or reduced their staff, and we understand the Russian Embassy sent some of its staff home in early July. All UN agencies and NGOs have also now withdrawn expatriate staff and ceased operations. We will work to restore the British Embassy presence in Pyongyang once it is safe and possible to do so, and encourage North Korea to allow entry for humanitarian workers to carry out an independent assessment of humanitarian needs, and to facilitate delivery of humanitarian assistance to vulnerable communities.

​The British Government remains concerned about potential risks attached to the Myitsone Dam project. We urge both the Chinese and Burmese governments to ensure that infrastructure projects comply with international norms and standards, including environmental and socials standards and the necessity of consultations with affected communities. It is vital that much needed infrastructure investments deliver sustainable and equitable development impacts for the people of Burma. We have raised this issue with the both the Government of Burma and the Chinese Ambassador to Burma.

My officials have been in touch with their Home Office counterparts to explore the possibility of holding a roundtable. I will write to my Ministerial colleagues at the Home Office to determine progress.

UNHCR’s Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2017 is an important tool in informing our support for refugees and internally displaced persons around the world.

At least half of DFID aid is focussed on fragile and conflict affected states and regions – the drivers of forced displacement. DFID’s aid programmes seek to address drivers of conflict, instability and lack of economic opportunities which in turn help to tackle some of the root causes of displacement. By creating jobs and livelihoods, improving education, and facilitating labour mobility we are giving people more opportunities to build a decent life at home or in their region.

The UK Government has been actively involved in the development of the UN Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and the Global Compact on Refugees, both of which have now been adopted. These two Compacts offer a cohesive and forward-leaning framework to improve the international response to large movements of people.

The UK is also supporting the UN and member states to set up a High-Level Panel on internally displaced persons. The overarching goal of the Panel is to galvanise action to reduce the number of internally displaced persons, whilst providing more effective protection and assistance, and reinforcing the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement.