Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that pauses in the funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) do not exacerbate the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK is appalled by allegations that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel, a heinous act of terrorism that the UK Government has repeatedly condemned. The UK is pausing any future funding of UNRWA whilst we review these concerning allegations.
We remain committed to getting humanitarian aid to the people in Gaza who desperately need it. Our commitment to trebling aid to Gaza still stands, and we are helping people in Gaza get food, water, shelter and medicines. The UK is providing £60 million in humanitarian assistance to support partners including the British Red Cross, UNICEF, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and Egyptian Red Crescent Society (ERCS) to respond to critical food, fuel, water, health, shelter and security needs in Gaza.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the the potential impact of pauses of future funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) on stability in the West Bank.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK is appalled by allegations that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel, a heinous act of terrorism that the UK Government has repeatedly condemned. The UK is pausing any future funding of UNRWA whilst we review these concerning allegations.
However, we remain committed to getting humanitarian aid to the those who desperately need it. Our commitment to trebling aid to Gaza still stands.
Regarding the situation in the West Bank, as we have stated we support a two-state solution that guarantees security and stability for both the Israeli and Palestinian people, and the Palestinian Authority has an important long-term role to play. We must work with our allies to provide serious, practical and enduring support needed to bolster the Palestinian Authority. We already provide technical and practical support and are ready to do more. The Palestinian Authority must also take much needed steps to reform, including setting out a pathway to demonstrate progress. Just as the Palestinian Authority must act, so must Israel. This means releasing frozen funds, halting settlement expansion and holding to account those responsible for extremist settler violence.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2024 to Question 8039 Gaza: Humanitarian Aid, how much and what proportion of UK aid destined for Gaza has been (a) shipped to Egypt and (b) held by the Egyptian Red Crescent Society as of 17 January 2024.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK has delivered 156 tonnes of UK aid for Gaza via Egypt. 74 tonnes were delivered on board ship RFA Lyme Bay and the remainder by air.
UK supplies have been passed on to our partners in the region and the majority are already in Gaza.
We have trebled our aid commitment for this financial year and are working closely with partners in international agencies and in the region to increase access.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2023 to Question 6846 on Gaza: Humanitarian Aid, for what reason he does not hold the information requested; and if he will make it his policy to collect information on the value of stockpiled aid goods unable to enter Gaza.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
UK funded humanitarian aid supplies destined for Gaza are being delivered to the Strip. However, alongside significant congestion at the Rafah border, some items which Israel consider to be of potential "dual use" - civilian or military, such as solar lights and water filters, have been stopped and returned to Egyptian Red Crescent Society (ERCS) warehouses in Al-Arish. We estimate the value of these items to be about £93,000. The UK is supporting the Egyptian ERCS, who are leading and coordinating the delivery of all national and international aid to Gaza within its auxiliary role to the Government of Egypt. The ERCS is working with other humanitarian actors, including the UN, to improve the tracking system of aid deliveries for this extremely complicated operation. This will help to provide more detail on the goods that have and have not been permitted to enter Gaza. The UK continues to press Israel to increase the flexibility and visibility on goods allowed into Gaza and improved efficiency of screening processes.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, how much additional aid his Department has announced for Gaza since 7 October 2023; whether any aid provided by his Department has not been able to enter Gaza since 7 October 2023; and what value of aid goods is currently stockpiled and unable to enter Gaza.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The flow of aid into and through Gaza continues to be insufficient and we are urgently exploring all diplomatic options to increase this, including urging Israel to open other existing land border crossings such as Kerem Shalom and we are exploring maritime options. As of the 13 December, 152 trucks carrying humanitarian supplies and four tankers of fuel entered Gaza from Egypt. This is above the daily volume recorded since the resumption of hostilities on 1 December but remains well below the daily average of 500 truckloads (including fuel and private sector goods) that entered every working day prior to 7 October.
The UK was among the first to call on Israel to open up Kerem Shalom fully. Israel has now decided to use the Kerem Shalom checkpoint to pre-screen trucks ahead of crossing through the Rafah checkpoint, which is welcome. This should speed up the delivery of humanitarian aid and fuel into Gaza, levels of which reaching civilians remains wholly insufficient. However, we continue to call on Israel to open up Kerem Shalom fully so trucks carrying fuel and humanitarian assistance can enter directly into Gaza, as they did before the current conflict. This would be a much more significant step change.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what information his Department holds on the number of aid lorries that have been able to enter into Gaza since 7 October 2023.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The flow of aid into and through Gaza continues to be insufficient and we are urgently exploring all diplomatic options to increase this, including urging Israel to open other existing land border crossings such as Kerem Shalom and we are exploring maritime options. As of the 13 December, 152 trucks carrying humanitarian supplies and four tankers of fuel entered Gaza from Egypt. This is above the daily volume recorded since the resumption of hostilities on 1 December but remains well below the daily average of 500 truckloads (including fuel and private sector goods) that entered every working day prior to 7 October.
The UK was among the first to call on Israel to open up Kerem Shalom fully. Israel has now decided to use the Kerem Shalom checkpoint to pre-screen trucks ahead of crossing through the Rafah checkpoint, which is welcome. This should speed up the delivery of humanitarian aid and fuel into Gaza, levels of which reaching civilians remains wholly insufficient. However, we continue to call on Israel to open up Kerem Shalom fully so trucks carrying fuel and humanitarian assistance can enter directly into Gaza, as they did before the current conflict. This would be a much more significant step change.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Government's role in the United Nations Climate Change Transitional Committee to help ensure that (a) new funding arrangements for the Loss and Damage Fund are allocated to countries most impacted by climate change and (b) that those arrangements are finalised at COP28.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
At COP27, the UK and other parties agreed to establish a Transitional Committee under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to develop a loss and damage fund and funding arrangements by COP28. We recognise how urgent it is to ensure the countries most impacted by climate change can respond to the risks they face. We are actively engaging with the committee members and other UNFCCC parties to ensure funding arrangements deliver effectively for those most vulnerable to climate change and are committed to pressing the transition committee to deliver results at COP28.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help ensure that the Loss and Damage Fund established at COP27 supports highly- indebted countries that have been impacted by climate change.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
At COP27, the UK and other parties agreed to establish a Transitional Committee under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to develop loss and damage funding arrangements, including a fund, by COP28. As a member of the Transitional Committee the UK will be encouraging fellow members to consider a broad range of funding arrangements for loss and damage. We will work closely with members and other UNFCCC parties to ensure these funding arrangements consider how to support countries at high risk of debt distress from climate related loss and damage.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2021 to Question 71375 on Western Sahara: Human Rights; what discussions she has had with her Moroccan counterpart on Morocco's lack of facilitation of a visit to Western Sahara by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights since January 2016.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We are closely monitoring the situation in Western Sahara. We have regular discussions with the UN, both in New York and in the region, as well as with the parties. The UK has consistently supported language in the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions which encourages the parties to sustain their efforts to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights in Western Sahara and in the Tindouf camps.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will raise with her Moroccan counterpart the stamping of MINURSO passports by Morocco.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We are closely monitoring the situation in Western Sahara. We have regular discussions with the parties and remain in close contact with the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). The UK fully supports the UN's efforts to achieve a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution that provides for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.