Asked by: Lord Sheikh (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the UK–Sudan strategic dialogue initiated in March represents a change of approach in foreign policy towards Sudan, and whether that dialogue will continue.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
Our objectives in Sudan have not changed. The British Government continues to work with its partners to end the conflicts, improve the serious humanitarian and human rights situation and tackle migration. The launch of the strategic dialogue underlines our commitment to discuss these and other issues with the Government of Sudan.
Asked by: Lord Sheikh (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to promote stronger educational and cultural links between the UK and Sudan.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The British Council already has a number of projects in Sudan which aim to strengthen cultural and educational relations. They have over 200 partner schools, engage with over 250,000 people in a national English teacher training programme and have provided English language training to 500 leading journalists. Sudan has also been added as a priority country for the British Council’s new £30m Cultural Protection Fund, and the British Council office in Khartoum is in discussion with a range of partners to develop proposals. Our Embassy in Khartoum also oversees the Chevening scholarship programme for highly talented Sudanese with leadership potential to pursue masters degrees in the UK.
Asked by: Lord Sheikh (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the efforts by the government of Sudan to prevent the influence in Sudan of groups such as Daesh, Boko Haram, and Al Shabaab.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
Sudan has an important role in tackling the threat of the various extremist groups that operate in region. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Africa Director discussed countering extremism with the Government of Sudan during his visit to Khartoum in March, and we are encouraging them to play a constructive role.
Asked by: Lord Sheikh (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the visit by the US’s Special Envoy for Sudan, Donald Booth, to Sudan in June, and of any lessons that could be learnt from that visit for UK–Sudan relations.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The UK continues to work closely with its Troika partners the US and Norway. The visit by the US’s Special Envoy to Sudan underlines the benefits of the ongoing strategic dialogue between the UK and the Government of Sudan, which allows us to raise issues of concern directly with the Government of Sudan.
Asked by: Lord Sheikh (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the government of Sudan's attitude and approach towards the conflict in South Sudan, and whether it will contribute to peace and stability in South Sudan.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The Government of Sudan played a constructive role in the Intergovernmental Authority on Development peace process in South Sudan and the recent meeting of regional Foreign Ministers on 11 July in Nairobi. We are working closely with all regional countries to end the violence in South Sudan.
Asked by: Lord Sheikh (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the agreement between the governments of Sudan and South Sudan and the World Food Programme to transport humanitarian assistance to South Sudan via Sudan, in the light of that agreement's extension.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
On the basis of an agreement between the World Food Programme (WFP) and the governments of Sudan and South Sudan, the WFP have been working with relevant government authorities in both countries and the region to ensure that their planes are able to deliver much needed humanitarian supplies into South Sudan. For instance, from January to June 2016 alone WFP managed to deliver close to 21,300 metric tons of cereals, pulses and vegetable oil to Upper Nile state. With the six-month extension to this agreement, WFP plans to deliver another 10,000 metric tons of food from Sudan to South Sudan. This represents a pragmatic approach to delivering vital humanitarian assistance to those affected by the conflict in South Sudan, and we welcome the support of the Government of Sudan in facilitating the delivery of food assistance across the border.
DFID Sudan and DFID South Sudan are monitoring the situation in relation to the ongoing crisis in South Sudan, and will keep working closely with WFP to help maintain essential transport corridors for humanitarian assistance.
Asked by: Lord Sheikh (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what help and support they are providing to deal with humanitarian issues in South Sudan.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
Prior to the eruption of fighting in Juba in early July 2016, the humanitarian situation in South Sudan was already dire, with unprecedented levels of food insecurity and one in five people displaced. In the aftermath of the recent crisis, we assess that the situation is now worse than it has ever been since independence in 2011. Six million people, over half the population, need urgent humanitarian assistance. The UK is the second largest bilateral humanitarian donor, contributing £242 million since the start of the conflict in December 2013. In December 2015, DFID approved a significant five year (2015-2020) humanitarian programme for South Sudan. This programme has been structured to enable DFID and our partners to respond to rising or changing needs.
In addition it is likely to prove necessary to scale up urgent humanitarian assistance in order to maintain vital food and nutrition supply lines, and reduce the risk of famine. We will also continue to ensure that South Sudan’s most vulnerable people are able to access vital health and education services. Our humanitarian partners, including the International Committee of the Red Cross and UNICEF (who both receive DFID funding) were able to mobilise responses for those displaced by the recent fighting in Juba, including the provision of water, food and health services. Other partners are continuing to operate outside Juba, supporting urgent health, protection and food security interventions.
Asked by: Lord Sheikh (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the extent of the humanitarian crisis resulting from the conflict in South Sudan.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
Prior to the eruption of fighting in Juba in early July 2016, the humanitarian situation in South Sudan was already dire, with unprecedented levels of food insecurity and one in five people displaced. In the aftermath of the recent crisis, we assess that the situation is now worse than it has ever been since independence in 2011. Six million people, over half the population, need urgent humanitarian assistance. The UK is the second largest bilateral humanitarian donor, contributing £242 million since the start of the conflict in December 2013. In December 2015, DFID approved a significant five year (2015-2020) humanitarian programme for South Sudan. This programme has been structured to enable DFID and our partners to respond to rising or changing needs.
In addition it is likely to prove necessary to scale up urgent humanitarian assistance in order to maintain vital food and nutrition supply lines, and reduce the risk of famine. We will also continue to ensure that South Sudan’s most vulnerable people are able to access vital health and education services. Our humanitarian partners, including the International Committee of the Red Cross and UNICEF (who both receive DFID funding) were able to mobilise responses for those displaced by the recent fighting in Juba, including the provision of water, food and health services. Other partners are continuing to operate outside Juba, supporting urgent health, protection and food security interventions.
Asked by: Lord Sheikh (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether there is further need for support in South Sudan and of the form that it should take.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
Prior to the eruption of fighting in Juba in early July 2016, the humanitarian situation in South Sudan was already dire, with unprecedented levels of food insecurity and one in five people displaced. In the aftermath of the recent crisis, we assess that the situation is now worse than it has ever been since independence in 2011. Six million people, over half the population, need urgent humanitarian assistance. The UK is the second largest bilateral humanitarian donor, contributing £242 million since the start of the conflict in December 2013. In December 2015, DFID approved a significant five year (2015-2020) humanitarian programme for South Sudan. This programme has been structured to enable DFID and our partners to respond to rising or changing needs.
In addition it is likely to prove necessary to scale up urgent humanitarian assistance in order to maintain vital food and nutrition supply lines, and reduce the risk of famine. We will also continue to ensure that South Sudan’s most vulnerable people are able to access vital health and education services. Our humanitarian partners, including the International Committee of the Red Cross and UNICEF (who both receive DFID funding) were able to mobilise responses for those displaced by the recent fighting in Juba, including the provision of water, food and health services. Other partners are continuing to operate outside Juba, supporting urgent health, protection and food security interventions.
Asked by: Lord Sheikh (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the support and help that Sudan provided to ease the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan by opening its border, allowing refugees to enter Sudan, and reducing the oil levy.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
Sudan has facilitated the delivery of emergency humanitarian supplies into South Sudan. In 2014 the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the World Food Programme which has enabled 47,000 metric tons of emergency and nutrition assistance to be delivered to more than 200,000 South Sudanese in the Upper Nile State.
There are over 230,000 South Sudanese refugees in Sudan. Until March the government of Sudan allowed refugees to move freely, work, and live in host communities, but South Sudanese arriving since then have been classed as ‘foreigners’, thereby restricting their movements within Sudan. We are not aware of any formal agreement by Sudan to reduce the payments it levies on South Sudan’s oil exports.