Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of humanitarian airdrops in Eastern Ghouta in the event that the Assad regime continues to block UN land access for aid provision.
Answered by Alistair Burt
Aid delivered by road by trusted humanitarian partners is by far the most effective way to meet needs in Eastern Ghouta and to ensure that it reaches those most in need. Airdrops are high risk and not capable of delivering many of the types of aid on a scale that could meet key needs there (e.g. safe drinking water, shelter, health support). Crucially, the consent is needed of those who control the airspace and those on the ground that could threaten aircraft. There is nothing to suggest that the Assad regime would provide such consent if it remained intent on blocking land access.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what aid the Government is providing for refugees arriving in Bangladesh from Myanmar.
Answered by Alistair Burt
Between 2014 and 2016, DFID has provided nearly £8 million to support humanitarian assistance to Rohingya refugees and the vulnerable host communities that support them.
Prior to this influx, DFID committed a further £5.9 million to meet the needs of the most vulnerable refugees and the host communities that support them.
The UK has been a leader in responding to the crisis – in speed and size – mobilising an additional £30 million to meet the urgent humanitarian needs of vulnerable men, women and children in both Bangladesh and Burma.
UK assistance in Bangladesh will continue to focus on the critical needs of the most vulnerable among new arrivals, and among existing refugees and host communities. We are supporting work inside and outside camps providing lifesaving assistance, including emergency shelter, food and nutrition assistance and safe water and sanitation.