Asked by: Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any consultation that has taken place between the government of Bangladesh and Rohingya refugees about the proposed relocation of up to 100,000 refugees to the silt island of Bhasan Char.
Answered by Lord Bates
The UK Government is clear that any relocation of refugees must be safe, dignified and meet international humanitarian principles and standards.
Asked by: Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what reports they have received from UN personnel who have visited the silt island of Bhasan Char about the suitability of the island for accommodating up to 100,000 Rohingya refugees.
Answered by Lord Bates
We have made clear to the government of Bangladesh that any relocation of refugees must be safe, dignified and meet international humanitarian principles and standards. The Government of Bangladesh and humanitarian agencies have formed a working group. A UN led technical assessment of the island is a priority to understand the viability of the relocation proposal.
Asked by: Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the suitability for large scale human habitation by refugees of the silt island of Bhasan Char in the River Meghna.
Answered by Lord Bates
We have made clear to the government of Bangladesh that any relocation of refugees must be safe, dignified and meet international humanitarian principles and standards. The Government of Bangladesh and humanitarian agencies have formed a working group. A UN led technical assessment of the island is a priority to understand the viability of the relocation proposal.
Asked by: Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what UK aid resources are being used for the construction of accommodation for Rohingya refugees on the silt island of Bhasan Char in the River Meghna; and whether, and if so what, conditions of suitability for human habitation are provisos for such support.
Answered by Lord Bates
The UK Government has provided no support for the proposed relocation of refugees to Bhasan Char Island. We have raised concerns about the island’s fitness for this purpose with the Government of Bangladesh.
Asked by: Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Bangladesh about the construction of accommodation for Rohingya refugees on the silt island of Bhasan Char in the River Meghna.
Answered by Lord Bates
The UK Government has provided no support for the proposed relocation of refugees to Bhasan Char Island. We have raised concerns about the island’s fitness for this purpose with the Government of Bangladesh.
Asked by: Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) political rights, and (2) living conditions of Rohingya people in (a) Burma, and (b) refugee camps in Bangladesh; and what estimate they have made of the prospects for the safety and security of Rohingya people, whether continuing to live in Burma or returning from Bangladesh.
Answered by Lord Bates
The conditions in the camps in Bangladesh and in northern Rakhine remain extremely difficult for the Rohingya people. The Government of Bangladesh do not recognise Rohingya as refugees, making them more vulnerable and increasing their risk of exploitation.
In Burma, the Rohingya people suffer from systematic discrimination and persecution, with freedom of movement and access to basic services restricted. DFID’s work in Rakhine aims to improve fundamental freedoms and paths to citizenship for the Rohingya.
The UK has agreed publicly with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) that the conditions for safe and dignified returns of Rohingya people to Rakhine State do not yet exist.
Asked by: Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the governments of Bangladesh and Burma regarding the need for consultation with, and agreement from, (1) the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and (2) displaced Rohingya people before commencing implementation of the recent agreement between those governments to repatriate refugee Rohingya people from Bangladesh to Burma.
Answered by Lord Bates
The Rt Hon Mark Field MP, Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific, has raised our concerns with the Bangladeshi and Burmese foreign ministers following their Governments’ announcement on the 30 October that the repatriation of over 2,000 refugees to Rakhine State would start in mid-November.
We have stated publicly that we agree with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) that the conditions for safe and dignified returns do not yet exist. UNHCR continue to engage closely with the Rohingya community in Bangladesh to understand their views about returning to Rakhine.
Asked by: Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what additional humanitarian aid they are providing to (1) Bangladeshi authorities, (2) non-governmental organisations, and (3) Department for International Development operations, dealing with the effects of the current monsoon on Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.
Answered by Lord Bates
With support from the UK, UN agencies, the Red Cross and NGOs on the ground are working tirelessly on measures to improve conditions in the camps and to prepare for extreme weather. The UK has led the way so far in terms of the scale and speed of our response to the crisis, pledging £129m in humanitarian support. As part of our response we are taking a wide range of measures to improve flood and cyclone preparedness, including improved shelters, water and sanitation, vaccination campaigns and prepositioning of emergency supplies.
Asked by: Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number of (1) children in South Sudan who are malnourished, and (2) South Sudanese children who are crossing into Uganda; and what steps have been taken to address the plight of children in South Sudan affected by the ongoing armed conflict.
Answered by Lord Bates
The latest estimate from the UN is that there are 1.1 million acutely malnourished children in South Sudan. There are 586,600 children under 18 who have fled to Uganda and many of these will have been malnourished when they arrived. The UK is leading the international response to the crisis in South Sudan, and this year will feed 500,000 people and, with other donors, provide lifesaving nutritional support for 100,000 children and mothers, and over 1.8 million health consultations to children under five.
Asked by: Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the statement by Dominque Burgeon, Director of the emergency division of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, that more than 100 million people worldwide are facing malnutrition and severe hunger.
Answered by Lord Bates
We remain deeply concerned about the global humanitarian situation. We are continuing to step up our support to provide lifesaving treatment for acute malnutrition, food, water and emergency healthcare to those affected. In Somalia for example our assistance will provide emergency food assistance for up to 1 million people, life-saving nutritional support to more than 600,000 starving children and pregnant and nursing women and safe drinking water for 1 million people. We have also issued an urgent call to action to the international community to do more.