Lord Ahmed

We are working at the highest levels with the government, other donors and the UN to improve access and ensure that aid reaches those that need it most. However this is a changing situation and there is not yet access to the conflict areas for a needs assessment. We are working with others to establish a picture of what is happening, where people are and what shape they are in. The UK has long been one of the biggest contributors of humanitarian aid for the displaced population in both Burma and Bangladesh. DFID has already committed £5.9 million to meet the needs of displaced Rohingya and the host communities who support them in Bangladesh. This is reaching 55,188 people with a range of support including food, education and protection of the safety and dignity of the most vulnerable, including women and girls. A further £5 million is being made available to provide urgent assistance to newly arriving refugees with needs such as food, shelter, and water and sanitation. Within Rakhine State we have provided over £30 million in humanitarian assistance since 2012, including food and sanitation for over 126,000 people. The UK Government is deeply concerned about the violence against the Rohingya and other communities in Burma’s Rakhine State, and the plight of thousands fleeing their homes.

The UK has not made representations to Israel about this specific issue. We are in regular discussion with Israel, the Palestinian Authority and other development actors, specifically the UN and EU, about Gaza’s energy crisis. Improving Gaza’s provision of electricity will in turn improve Gaza’s water supply and wastewater treatment. We regularly call on both parties to work on solutions to increase the electricity supply, including press for the extension of the 161 power line and progress towards the conversion of the Gazan power station to gas.

The UK fully supports the UN Special Envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed’s efforts to achieve a lasting ceasefire in Yemen to ensure life-saving assistance can reach all populations in need.

During the humanitarian pause in Yemen from 12 to 17 May 2015, according to the UN, humanitarian partners were able to deliver: a month's worth of food to more than 400,000 people; access to safe water for 1.2 million people; emergency shelter and medical supplies for more than 400,000 patients; and nutritional supplies to treat almost 35,000 malnourished children.

The UK welcomes any option compliant with international law that might save lives in Syria and Iraq. The situation in Syria and Iraq is incredibly complex, and international enclaves are not currently feasible. For such a safe area to work in any context, all parties to the conflict would need to agree on its establishment. In the absence of such an agreement, this would require foreign military intervention, authorised by a UN Security Council resolution.

The UK government has not received a request from the Indian Government for financial assistance. In 2012, DFID announced that it would end our traditional financial grant aid to India in 2015. From this year on, our partnership will be based on sharing skills and expertise, investing in private sector projects that benefit the poor, and working together on global development issues.

DFID has allocated £39.5 million to the humanitarian crisis in Iraq since June and is delivering a range of life-saving assistance such as food, water, shelter, sanitation and medical care to those who have been displaced by the conflict.

All UK funded aid is distributed on the basis of need to ensure civilians are not discriminated against on the grounds of race, religion or ethnicity. Our aid is reaching thousands of vulnerable displaced people across Iraq. This has included delivering aid to thousands of people trapped by ISIL in the Iraqi town of Amerli, including many from the Turkmen community.

Before the military operation in North Waziristan which started in June 2014, the UK had provided £7 million to support internally displaced people in Northern Pakistan. This helped 400,000 people access safe water and sanitation; supplied 150,000 people with food packages; and supported over 6,000 families to rebuild their livelihoods.

Since the beginning of the current military operation an additional one million people have registered as displaced. In response to this the UK has provided a further £4.7 million. This will support some of the most vulnerable people who have been identified by our partners in a joint assessment run by the UN and the Government of Pakistan. We remain in close contact with the Federal Government of Pakistan, the Provincial Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and all of our partners, including the EU, to ensure an efficient, coordinated response.

Before the military operation in North Waziristan which started in June 2014, the UK had provided £7 million to support internally displaced people in Northern Pakistan. This helped 400,000 people access safe water and sanitation; supplied 150,000 people with food packages; and supported over 6,000 families to rebuild their livelihoods.

Since the beginning of the current military operation an additional one million people have registered as displaced. In response to this the UK has provided a further £4.7 million. This will support some of the most vulnerable people who have been identified by our partners in a joint assessment run by the UN and the Government of Pakistan. We remain in close contact with the Federal Government of Pakistan, the Provincial Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and all of our partners, including the EU, to ensure an efficient, coordinated response.

Before the military operation in North Waziristan which started in June 2014, the UK had provided £7 million to support internally displaced people in Northern Pakistan. This helped 400,000 people access safe water and sanitation; supplied 150,000 people with food packages; and supported over 6,000 families to rebuild their livelihoods.

Since the beginning of the current military operation an additional one million people have registered as displaced. In response to this the UK has provided a further £4.7 million. This will support some of the most vulnerable people who have been identified by our partners in a joint assessment run by the UN and the Government of Pakistan. We remain in close contact with the Federal Government of Pakistan, the Provincial Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and all of our partners, including the EU, to ensure an efficient, coordinated response.

Before the military operation in North Waziristan which started in June 2014, the UK had provided £7 million to support internally displaced people in Northern Pakistan. This helped 400,000 people access safe water and sanitation; supplied 150,000 people with food packages; and supported over 6,000 families to rebuild their livelihoods.

Since the beginning of the current military operation an additional one million people have registered as displaced. In response to this the UK has provided a further £4.7 million. This will support some of the most vulnerable people who have been identified by our partners in a joint assessment run by the UN and the Government of Pakistan. We remain in close contact with the Federal Government of Pakistan, the Provincial Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and all of our partners, including the EU, to ensure an efficient, coordinated response.

We are monitoring the humanitarian situation in the aftermath of the floods in both India Administered Kashmir and Pakistan Administered Kashmir. We have not received a request from either government for assistance, but are in close contact with relevant partners in both countries.

From 2011-12 to 2013-14 DFID has spent a total of £183 million on education in Pakistan, with £92 million spent during the last financial year. This support has helped get additional children into school, increase teacher attendance, improve school facilities and train teachers amongst other activities. During the last two years (2012-13 & 2013-14), DFID programmes have helped the Pakistani Government to train 150,000 teachers.

From 2011-12 to 2013-14 DFID has spent a total of £183 million on education in Pakistan, with £92 million spent during the last financial year. This support has helped get additional children into school, increase teacher attendance, improve school facilities and train teachers amongst other activities. During the last two years (2012-13 & 2013-14), DFID programmes have helped the Pakistani Government to train 150,000 teachers.

Funding to Mir Khalil Ur Rahman Foundation (MKRF) ended in January 2014. Over the period 2011 to 2014, £5.06 million was spent by MKRF as part of our larger Transforming Education in Pakistan (TEP) programme.

The department has published progress reports on our development tracker in line with our commitment to transparency. http://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk/projects/GB-1-202491/.

Funding to Mir Khalil Ur Rahman Foundation (MKRF) ended in January 2014. Over the period 2011 to 2014, £5.06 million was spent by MKRF as part of our larger Transforming Education in Pakistan (TEP) programme.

The department has published progress reports on our development tracker in line with our commitment to transparency. http://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk/projects/GB-1-202491/.

We have released £10million since the latest crisis began. We are giving the UN Relief and Works Agency £4 million in new funding to provide health care, clean water, blankets and cooking equipment to help tens of thousands of Palestinians affected by the violence in Gaza, and £3million to the UN World Food Programme to provide food vouchers to vulnerable families. We are also bringing forward £3 million to support the work of the International Committee of the Red Cross in repairing water infrastructure and providing emergency medical support.

DFID is already spending almost £350million from 2011-2015 to address a broad range of Palestinian development and humanitarian needs, of which approximately £30million per annum is spent on Gaza.

DFID has allocated up to £5 million to support the Government of Pakistan’s efforts to help some of the most vulnerable internally displaced people following the military operation in North Waziristan. This will provide people with ration packs, non-food items such as cooking utensils and solar lanterns, and water and sanitation services.

The British Government remains committed to promoting and defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for individuals of all faiths or beliefs, in India and elsewhere. We shall continue to engage with Indian contacts on a range of human rights issues, including minority representatives on religious freedoms.

The British High Commission in New Delhi and our network of Deputy High Commissions maintain an assessment of the human rights situation across India and run projects promoting minority rights, as well as working with Union and State Government to build capacity and share expertise.

The British Government is aware of these comments made by the Danish Minister for Immigration and Integration. The UK enjoys a close dialogue with the Danish government on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), most recently through the recent visit of Lord Ahmad to Denmark on 18 May. The protection of the right to FoRB is a priority of Her Majesty's Government's foreign policy and will continue to be so.

​We are aware of reports of significant numbers of individuals being detained by the Chinese authorities in re-education camps in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Our Embassy in Beijing has not been able to directly verify these reports: however my officials will continue to monitor the situation in Xinjiang closely.

We remain deeply concerned about restrictions on freedom of religion or belief in China, particularly in Xinjiang. We raised our concerns with the Chinese authorities at the last UK/China Human Rights Dialogue, which took place in Beijing in June 2017. We will seek to raise them again at the next UK/China Human Rights Dialogue, which is due to take place later this year.

​We have concerns about restrictions on civil and political freedoms in China, particularly around ethnic minority rights; the death penalty; and freedom of expression, association and assembly. We also remain concerned about restrictions on freedom of religion or belief. We are aware of reports of the closure or demolition of places of worship, of the removal of religious symbols, and that individuals are being harassed or detained for their beliefs across China.

The Prime Minister raised human rights when she visited China in February 2018. We raise the full range of our human rights concerns in China at the UK/China human rights dialogue, which last took place in Beijing in June 2017.

The UK is firmly committed to the promotion and protection of human rights and compliance with international law in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We are extremely concerned by the scale of the violence in Gaza and the West Bank. The loss of life and the large number of Palestinians injured, including children, is tragic. Israel has the right to defend its borders. However the use of live fire is deeply troubling, and has led to significant loss of life. We urge Israel to show greater restraint. The Foreign Secretary discussed the use of live ammunition against protestors in Gaza with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on 16 May. The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa also raised our concerns with his Israeli counterpart on 13 May and with the Israeli Ambassador to the UK on 17 May.

We are extremely concerned by the scale of the violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, in particular Gaza. Whilst Israel has the right to defend its borders, the use of live fire is deeply troubling, and has led to significant loss of life. The Foreign Secretary discussed the use of live ammunition against protestors in Gaza with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on 16 May. The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa also raised this issue with his Israeli counterpart on 13 May and with the Israeli Ambassador to the UK on 17 May. As the Minister said in his statement of 14 May, we continue to implore Israel to show greater restraint in its use of live fire.

The UK has repeatedly urged Russia bilaterally and in other multilateral fora to use its influence with the Asad regime to ensure that it allows rapid, unimpeded and sustained UN-led humanitarian access to deliver urgently needed food and medical supplies to Eastern Ghouta, and that it adheres to the ceasefire demanded by UN Security Council Resolution 2401. On 27 February, the Minister of State for Europe and the Americas, Sir Alan Duncan, met the Russian Ambassador to the UK, Alexander Yakovenko, stressing UK concern at the current situation in Syria, particularly the crisis in Eastern Ghouta. The Foreign Secretary also wrote to Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov on 27 February regarding the crisis in Eastern Ghouta and urging Russia to uphold its commitments to ensure that UN Security Council Resolution 2401 is implemented in full. The UK also raised its concerns with Russia on 7 March in the UN Security Council.

We have had no direct contact with the Syrian regime about Eastern Ghouta but we have used our position in the UN Security Council to call upon the regime to cease its campaign of violence, to protect civilians and allow rapid and unhindered humanitarian access to all.

The British Government regularly discusses this topic at the UN Security Council, most recently at the briefing to the Security Council by UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura on 14 February. The UN-led Geneva process between the Syrian parties, mandated by UN Security Council Resolution 2254, remains the forum for reaching a lasting political settlement to end the conflict in Syria, and we fully support the efforts of the UN Special Envoy. The Syrian Negotiation Commission continues to engage constructively, in good faith and without preconditions. The Asad regime must now engage credibly in Geneva talks and Russia must use all of its influence to ensure that this happens.

The British Government regularly discusses this topic, including at the UN Security Council, most recently when UN Special Envoy briefed the Security Council on 14 February. The UN-led Geneva process between the Syrian parties, mandated by UN Security Council Resolution 2254, remains the forum for reaching a lasting political settlement to end the conflict in Syria. We fully support the efforts of UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura. The Syrian Negotiation Commission continues to engage constructively, in good faith and without preconditions. The Asad regime must now engage constructively in Geneva, and Russia must use all of its influence to ensure that this happens.

The British Government is clear that the UN-led Geneva process between the Syrian parties, mandated by UN Security Council Resolution 2254, remains the forum for reaching a lasting political settlement to end the conflict in Syria and we fully support the efforts of UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura. The Syrian Negotiation Commission continues to engage constructively, in good faith and without preconditions. The Asad regime must now engage credibly in Geneva talks and Russia must use all the influence it can to ensure that it does so.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office records the charges, or category of charge, on which individuals are detained, where that information is provided to consular staff. We are currently aware of a small number of British nationals detained in Ethiopia, but not necessarily as political prisoners. The UK has repeatedly raised human rights concerns with the Ethiopian Government, including around the arrest and imprisonment of people for their political views. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office provides consular support to detainees as usual.

The Government wants to see more political freedoms and better protection of human rights in Egypt. The Foreign Secretary and the Minister for the Middle East and North Africa have consistently raised this with our Egyptian counterparts. Mr Burt raised our human rights concerns, including those relating to media freedoms and restrictions on civil society, with Foreign Minister Shoukry and Interior Minister Ghaffar, during his visit to Egypt in August 2017. The Foreign Secretary last discussed human rights with Foreign Minister Shoukry in October 2017, when he raised the case of detained human rights lawyer Ibrahim Metwally. The Foreign Secretary also emphasised the importance of a free and open society when he met President Sisi during his visit to Cairo in February 2017. Egypt is an FCO Human Rights Priority Country and the UK regularly raises concerns about human rights in Egypt at the UN’s Human Rights Council.

Through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF), the British Government funds an MSc in Security Sector Management run in Ethiopia by Cranfield University. The MSc is designed to support regional capacity in Peace Support Operations activity and is attended by students from across the region, including six (of 28) Ethiopians. This programme began in 2017 and the first Annual Review will be conducted in April, in line with standard timings for CSSF programmes.

The executions of 15 men on 26 December 2017 and four men on 2 January 2018 in Egypt are deeply concerning. It is a longstanding policy of the British Government to oppose the death penalty, in all circumstances, as a matter of principle. We continue to raise our human rights concerns with the Egyptian authorities and we encourage Egypt to restrict the application of the death penalty in line with the minimum standards set out in the EU Guidelines on the Death Penalty of 2008 and the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Arab Charter on Human Rights.

The executions of 15 men on 26 December 2017 and four men on 2 January 2018 in Egypt are deeply concerning. It is a longstanding policy of the British Government to oppose the death penalty, in all circumstances, as a matter of principle. We continue to raise our human rights concerns with the Egyptian authorities and we encourage Egypt to restrict the application of the death penalty in line with the minimum standards set out in the EU Guidelines on the Death Penalty of 2008 and the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Arab Charter on Human Rights.