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Written Question
South Sudan: Mental Health Services
Friday 7th August 2020

Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what funding they have allocated for mental health programmes in South Sudan.

Answered by Baroness Sugg

The UK is the leading provider of health services in South Sudan, through the Health Pooled Fund (HPF) (£175m 2018-2023). Through the HPF, UK Aid is improving capacity to identify and manage mental health illnesses in health facilities and hospitals; last year HPF trained 412 health workers on mental health across South Sudan.


UK Aid is also supporting specialised mental health services in areas heavily impacted by violence, through our partnerships with Humanity and Inclusion (£3.7m 2018-2021) and Medair (£16m 2016-2021). We also provide psycho-social support to survivors of gender-based violence as part of a five-year £22 million programme with the International Medical Corps. Finally, UK Aid is working in partnership with the UN’s International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to provide mental health and psychosocial services in protection of civilian sites, with services targeted particularly at vulnerable groups including women and girls.


Written Question
Uganda: Migrant Camps
Thursday 6th August 2020

Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what additional support they have given to the Bidi Bidi refugee camp in Uganda as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Answered by Baroness Sugg

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, DFID has worked with partners like the United Nations World Food Programme to ensure continuity of life-saving services, such as the delivery of food assistance, to the population of Bidibidi, Uganda’s largest refugee settlement. Additionally, we have supported specific programmes in Bidibidi through Mercy Corps, an International Non-Governmental Organisation, including:

• a campaign - through public address systems, bulk text messages, posters, song and radio – to raise awareness about prevention of the virus, focused on community “hot spots” including shops, bill boards, markets, water points, and food distribution points;

• payments in vouchers or via mobile money to more than 1,850 farmers (57% of whom were women) to purchase high quality seeds from local dealers to ensure they did not miss the planting season; and

• support to small businesses to continue, providing access to basic hygiene supplies, agricultural inputs, and mobile money services. The local dealers that were selected to support the seed distribution referred to above received business development training on topics including business plan development, marketing and record keeping, as well as cash grants to strengthen their business.

As the pandemic continues to evolve, we are closely monitoring the situation across Uganda, including in the refugee settlements, and prioritising our support accordingly.


Written Question
Africa: Disease Control
Wednesday 20th May 2020

Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that (1) malaria, and (2) non-COVID-19 epidemic, services and programmes in Africa are adequately resourced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Answered by Baroness Sugg

The UK Government recognises that COVID-19 will have significant direct and indirect impacts on health in Africa. Indirect impacts will be the result of disruption to, and a reduction in, health service delivery.

In response, we are flexing our funding and programming. We are building on our long-term investments to mitigate the threat of indirect impacts on various services and goods. These include reproductive health services and commodities as well as essential primary health care services, such as immunisation. We also aim to increase access and reduce prices for essential health commodities.

The UK Government is working with governments to ensure that essential malaria services continue, malaria patients are protected from COVID-19 and malaria programmes make good decisions about redeploying resources to national COVID-19 programmes in a sustainable way. We continue to be the second largest country donor in the global fight against malaria.


Written Question
Syria: Terrorism
Tuesday 7th January 2020

Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what humanitarian resources they have committed, bilaterally and multilaterally, to victims of terrorism in northern Syria since the withdrawal of the United States from that territory.

Answered by Baroness Sugg

The UK remains committed to providing vital humanitarian support to the victims of conflict and terrorism in Northern Syria. To date, the UK has committed £40 million in humanitarian aid to North East Syria and another £40 million to North West Syria for financial year 2019/20. This forms part of an overall UK commitment of £400 million to the regional Syria crisis this financial year. This funding includes £72 million spent by DFID in humanitarian projects inside Syria between January and June 2019, which has provided: 26,676 food rations, each covering the food needs of one individual for one month; 144,745 people with clean drinking water; 1,177,930 vaccines; 352,598 people benefitted from relief packages; 7,993 people benefitted from cash-for-work activities and 27,960 people benefitted from psychosocial support.

UK support to Northern Syria is provided on the basis of humanitarian need and delivered through United Nations agencies and non-governmental organisations. It focusses on providing life-saving supplies such as food, water, shelter, mental health services and healthcare, as well as helping communities recover from life under Daesh rule, for example by supporting farmers and local businesses. In consultation with partners, my Department keeps under constant review what additional support might be needed to support those affected by recent fighting.


Written Question
Africa: Climate Change
Monday 6th January 2020

Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what research they have conducted into the effects of climate change on pastoral communities in Africa.

Answered by Baroness Sugg

DFID has conducted a series of research studies on pastoralism, including on the effects of climate change and environmental stresses. Papers and reports from this research are published here: https://www.gov.uk/dfid-research-outputs?keywords=pastoralism+and+climate+change.

DFID has recently announced a new programme the “Supporting Pastoralism & Agriculture in Recurrent & Protracted Crises (SPARC)” programme (2020 - 2026) which aims to assist poor and vulnerable people to better cope with and build their resilience to climate change and recurring shocks, delivering evidence which will improve DFID programmes and policies supporting pastoral communities. The programme builds on a number of previous programmes which have focused on improving the resilience of pastoralist communities, including the Karamoja Resilience programme in Northern Uganda, and the Building Resilience and Adapting to Climate Extremes and Disasters (BRACED) programme in the Sahel.


Written Question
Developing Countries: Climate Change
Tuesday 8th October 2019

Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty's Government which least developed countries (1) experiencing, and (2) likely to experience, rising (a) ocean levels, and (b) temperatures, are receiving, or due to receive, UK aid funding to be used specifically for the effects of climate change.

Answered by Baroness Sugg

Recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Reports state that global temperatures and sea levels are rising and are expected to continue doing so. Least Developed Countries are expected to be most vulnerable to the impacts of future global temperature increases, being least able to cope with the impacts.

The UK remains committed to help developing countries build their resilience to the impacts of climate change and support low carbon, sustainable growth. The UK has committed to provide £5.8 billion of International Climate Finance from the UK aid budget from 2016/17 to 2020/21, and at the United Nations Climate Action Summit in September 2019 announced a doubling to £11.6 billion from 2021/22 to 2025/26.

In 2018 the UK provided International Climate Finance directly to the following Least Developed Countries through its bilateral programming in country, and expects to spend across a similar geographical footprint in 2019:

Afghanistan

Rwanda

Bangladesh

Sierra Leone

Ethiopia

Somalia

Madagascar

South Sudan

Malawi

Sudan

Mozambique

Tanzania

Myanmar

Uganda

Nepal

Zambia

Of the countries above, Bangladesh, Madagascar, Mozambique, Myanmar, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan and Tanzania are coastal and are likely to be adversely impacted by rising sea levels.


Written Question
Developing Countries: Climate Change
Tuesday 8th October 2019

Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty's Government which least developed countries are currently in receipt of UK aid funding to be used specifically to address the effects of climate change.

Answered by Baroness Sugg

The UK remains committed to helping developing countries build their resilience to the impacts of climate change and support low carbon, sustainable growth. The UK has committed to provide £5.8 billion of International Climate Finance from the UK aid budget from 2016/17 to 2020/21, and at the United Nations Climate Action Summit in September 2019 announced a doubling to £11.6 billion from 2021/22 to 2025/26.

In 2018 the UK provided International Climate Finance directly to the following Least Developed Countries through its bilateral programming in country:

Afghanistan

Rwanda

Bangladesh

Sierra Leone

Ethiopia

Somalia

Madagascar

South Sudan

Malawi

Sudan

Mozambique

Tanzania

Myanmar

Uganda

Nepal

Zambia

In 2018 the UK also supported several multi-country and regional bilateral climate programmes and contributed core funding to the climate multilaterals the Green Climate Fund and the Global Environment Facility.


Written Question
Developing Countries: Agriculture
Tuesday 7th May 2019

Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the World Bank’s new emphasis on the private sector, in particular, whether it has encouraged large-scale industrial farming for palm oil and other commodities at the expense of the environment and local farm livelihoods; and what proposals they have made, if any, to redress this trend.

Answered by Baroness Sugg

The World Bank Group (WBG) can play an important role mobilising private sector finance for quality development projects that meet robust environmental and social standards – projects that are critical to providing the finance needed to achieve the Global Goals. Recognising the particular risks in the palm oil sector, the WBG has issued guidance that seeks to ensure improved benefit sharing with smallholders and communities and the widespread adoption of environmentally and socially sustainable standards (The World Bank Group Framework and IFC Strategy for Engagement in the Palm Oil Sector). The International Finance Corporation has a complaints procedure for affected people to express any grievances and seek redress where this guidance is not followed. This procedure is currently under review to ensure greater attention is devoted to responding to complaints at an early stage.


Written Question
Africa: Migration
Thursday 25th April 2019

Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current situation of migrants and refugees in (1) Sudan, and (2) Libya; and whether there has been any change in the direction of migration between those countries.

Answered by Baroness Sugg

Sudan is a source, destination and transit point for migrants. While migrants have been accommodated by the Government of Sudan, their policy of encampment limits durable solutions. Integration is very challenging and most African migrants do not have the right to legally work in Sudan; third country resettlement is not viable as the UNHCR programme is currently suspended. Return is not possible for Eritreans due to human rights concerns. Protection is weak and many migrants are exploited.

In Libya, we remain deeply concerned over the appalling conditions for migrants in detention centres, particularly given the current escalation in violence. We urge all sides to ensure the safety of civilians, including vulnerable refugees/migrants; and continue to pressure the Libyan authorities to pursue alternatives to detention and implement a better functioning migration system that respects human rights. These efforts are part of our wider approach to protecting those who are travelling on the dangerous migration route into Libya.

There is insufficient data on border crossings between Sudan and Libya to be able to assess whether there has been any recent change in the direction of migration between those countries. Instability in both Libya and Sudan is likely to cause further displacement.


Written Question
Niger: Refugees
Thursday 25th April 2019

Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the accuracy of reports from the International Organisation for Migration that large numbers of refugees and migrants have entered Niger from Mali, Nigeria and elsewhere; if so, how many are registered with the UN; and what assistance the UK is offering to any such refugees.

Answered by Baroness Sugg

We broadly agree with reports from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM): escalating violence in the Diffa region of Niger has triggered the displacement of 18,000 people in recent weeks. However, we would note that IOM does not capture the total flows of people passing along migratory routes.

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that Niger is home to one of the largest populations of refugees across the countries of the Sahel (174,767 people), including 55,496 people displaced by the conflict in Mali and 118,868 from Nigeria.

In 2019, the UK is providing £13.16 million to Niger via the World Food Programme, UNICEF and ICRC to provide food, respond to severe acute malnutrition, and provide protection to conflict-affected people.