Asked by: Lord Bishop of Durham (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Tearfund Ageing in Rwanda, published on 25 January.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
Tearfund’s research report on ageing in Rwanda is an important contribution to a growing evidence base on changing demographics in Rwanda. It complements UK Aid funded research looking at the implications of ageing and demographic change in Rwanda. Tearfund’s report highlights the unique nature and speed of the demographic transition in Rwanda, a result of rapid improvements in life expectancy and a reduction in the fertility rate. While this is likely to provide opportunities in the future, the large growth in the number of older people will also create challenges; many of which, as the report clearly outlines, are being experienced by older people in Rwanda today. These include unmet mental health needs arising from loss, trauma and bereavement as well as vulnerability exacerbated by gaps in social protection, health and care services. DFID engaged in the dissemination event for this report in Kigali and will draw on findings from the research to further strengthen its work on social protection, agriculture and livelihoods to respond to the needs of older people in Rwanda.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Durham (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by Tearfund Ageing in Rwanda, published on 25 January, what plans they have, if any, to ‘age-proof’ UK international development policies.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
As the Tearfund report recognises, there is more work to do to ensure older people are actively included in international development policies and resources. DFID’s vision is a world where all people, in all stages of their lives, are engaged, empowered and able to exercise their rights. Age is an important factor in our efforts to tackle extreme poverty, ensure inclusion and in our approach to ‘leave no-one behind’. DFID ensures that issues of age, gender and disability are included in all UK international development policies. For example, DFID’s Disability Inclusion Strategy and Strategic Vision for Gender Equality take a life-course approach, ensuring the delivery of transformative change for people all ages.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Durham (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by Tearfund Ageing in Rwanda, published on 25 January, what plans they have, if any, to distribute foreign aid cross-generationally in Rwanda.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
UK Aid in Rwanda responds directly to the Global Goals for Sustainable Development, which aim to eradicate extreme poverty and ensure that no one is left behind. In Rwanda, DFID is tackling vulnerabilities and exclusion at all stages of life; from early childhood, through school and adolescence into adulthood and older age. DFID Rwanda’s new £64.5 million programme to support the social protection sector includes explicit objectives to address old-age vulnerabilities, as highlighted in the Tearfund ‘Ageing in Rwanda’ report. Furthermore, given that many older people continue working past the official retirement age of 65, our support to older people is also integrated into broader interventions such as improving agricultural productivity and livelihoods in Rwanda.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Durham (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they assess the effectiveness of UK aid in Rwanda for Rwandans over the age of 60.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
Assessing the effectiveness of our work is a key priority for DFID, in order to ensure that our programmes achieve their intended results and that they contribute to the Global Sustainable Development Goals across our programming. One of the key means of supporting older Rwandans is through the social protection sector which DFID Rwanda has supported for over a decade. We have made strides in addressing the vulnerabilities of older people. As part of our most recent social protection programme in Rwanda (2013 - 2018), DFID’s support enabled the expansion of support to households living in poverty with no capacity to work – the vast majority of which are older people - to cover all 416 sectors in Rwanda and more than tripling the number of beneficiary households reached. DFID Rwanda’s new £64.5 million programme to support social protection provision in Rwanda also aims to better address specific vulnerabilities and support Rwanda’s longer-term policy objectives to implement an old-age pension.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Durham (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they are offering the government of Burundi in hosting Congolese refugees being displaced through the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Department for International Development’s (DFID) humanitarian programme in Burundi is addressing food insecurity and malnutrition, providing support to internally displaced people and to returning refugees and their host communities. It does not provide support to Congolese refugees. We continue to monitor the overall humanitarian situation in Burundi, including that of Congolese refugees, given ongoing risks in the country.
The UK also remains committed to reducing poverty and instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – a key driver for migration to neighbouring countries. The UK is funding stabilisation activities in Eastern DRC to address the underlying drivers of conflict, and we remain at the forefront of the humanitarian response in the DRC.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Durham (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for International Development:
Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Bates on 19 July (HL Deb, cols 1616–17), whether humanitarian assistance to (1) the 700,000 in need of food aid, and (2) the three million in need of humanitarian aid, in Burundi will continue to be made available through organisations such as Tearfund, Christian Aid and Oxfam.
Answered by Lord Bates
DFID is providing £8 million of life-saving humanitarian assistance over the next three years in Burundi. This will support more than 20,000 food insecure households, including 8,000 malnourished children. Implementing partners have not yet been confirmed, but this support is likely to be delivered through both UN agencies and international non-governmental organisations with a strong track record in Burundi. The Foreign Office continues to work Christian Aid in Burundi to empower local communities to oppose sexual violence.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Durham (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to provide food aid to those affected by the drought in Eastern Rwanda.
Answered by Lord Bates
The Department for International Development is assisting households affected by drought in Eastern Rwanda through our pre-existing agricultural support programme. Our social protection programme also provides direct support to the most vulnerable people in Rwanda, including those affected by the drought. We will continue to engage with the Government of Rwanda and other partners to monitor the food security situation in Eastern Rwanda and assess if further support is required.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Durham (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assistance they are providing to the government of Rwanda to tackle levels of inequality there.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
DFID supports various programmes that tackle economic and social inequalities in Rwanda. Our programmes on social protection, education and agriculture all support the Government of Rwanda to address inequality and focus on the needs and rights of the poorest and most excluded people. In addition to DFID’s direct support to Government programmes, we also work with the private sector and other partners to promote inclusive economic growth that promotes social cohesion and reduces economic inequalities, creating decent and sustainable jobs for all. We also work with non-governmental organisations and civil society to address economic, social and gender inequalities. We have three dedicated programmes working on gender and women and girls’ empowerment, focusing on Gender Based Violence Prevention, the empowerment of adolescent girls, and addressing harmful social and gender norms.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Durham (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what contingency plans are in place to provide humanitarian aid in the event of a poor harvest in Burundi.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The UK Government is very concerned by the ongoing political unrest in Burundi and its humanitarian consequences. Burundi had high levels of food insecurity before the political crisis. However, the increase in market prices, the impact of late and heavy El-Nino rains, and the loss of livelihoods could result in further food insecurity and malnutrition.
DFID Ministers have already committed £3 million for humanitarian preparedness and early response within Burundi. We have further set aside contingency funds of up to £4 million should the situation deteriorate. DFID will monitor the humanitarian and food security situation and ensure appropriate support is provided if the situation warrants it.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Durham (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider re-opening the Department for International Development’s Office in Burundi.
Answered by Baroness Verma
In 2012, as part of its global review of bilateral programmes, DFID decided to focus its work in Burundi on the country’s integration into the East African Community (EAC) as the single most important factor for promoting economic growth. DFID has continued to provide support to Burundi, mainly through Trade Mark East Africa (TMEA), a specialist agency which promotes trade growth in East Africa. DFID has contributed £16.5 million to TMEA for Burundi in the period 2010-2016. Burundi also receives contributions through multilateral organisations and funds. For example, through the Global Poverty Action Fund, we have also provided £500,000 for the provision of sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation for 139,000 people in Bujumbura Rural Province. DFID also provides central funding to UK NGOs, some of which work with local partners in Burundi.
Given the situation in Burundi, we are now looking to provide support in the form of secondments to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) for needs assessment, information management, coordination and advocacy. Over 238,000 Burundians have become refugees since April 2015. The majority of those who have fled Burundi are concentrated in Tanzania and Rwanda, for which DFID has provided £18.15 million since April 2015.