Debates between Anneliese Dodds and Ian Byrne during the 2024 Parliament

Tue 29th Oct 2024

Israel: UNRWA Ban

Debate between Anneliese Dodds and Ian Byrne
Tuesday 29th October 2024

(1 month, 3 weeks ago)

Commons Chamber
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Urgent Questions are proposed each morning by backbench MPs, and up to two may be selected each day by the Speaker. Chosen Urgent Questions are announced 30 minutes before Parliament sits each day.

Each Urgent Question requires a Government Minister to give a response on the debate topic.

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Anneliese Dodds Portrait Anneliese Dodds
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I pay tribute to the hon. Gentleman’s constituents for their support of multilateralism, which is surely now more important than ever. The pact for the future came out of the UN General Assembly. To me, that is a demonstration of the power of multilateral action, even in these deeply challenging times. We will use our role in the UN Security Council to ensure that international humanitarian law is upheld and that, as the UK, we play our part in leading responses to humanitarian crises like the one we have been discussing today.

Ian Byrne Portrait Ian Byrne (Liverpool West Derby) (Ind)
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As the hon. Member for Blackburn (Mr Hussain) said, on Sunday the UN’s top humanitarian official warned:

“The entire population of north Gaza is at risk of dying.”

I spoke to the United Nations special rapporteur in person last week. He was in absolute despair about the lack of action from the world against what is happening in Gaza. I implore the Minister to give him and the House some reassurance that the Government are actively reviewing how the sanctions are working and what else they can do to force Israel to begin to work under humanitarian law.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Anneliese Dodds and Ian Byrne
Tuesday 30th July 2024

(4 months, 3 weeks ago)

Commons Chamber
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Ian Byrne Portrait Ian Byrne (Liverpool West Derby) (Ind)
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T3. On 19 July, the Foreign Secretary stated that half a million people in Gaza are in phase 5 of acute food insecurity, the classification that indicates starvation and famine. UNICEF reports that 29 children have died from malnutrition. How do the Government plan to change that, as Palestinians face the harrowing reality of death by starvation because of a political choice?

Anneliese Dodds Portrait The Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Anneliese Dodds)
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I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising the issue, which we have discussed previously in this Question Time. We are deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in Gaza; we have reflected that in our policy response, but also in our humanitarian response. For example, in the statement that the Foreign Secretary made on his visit to the region, he committed £5.5 million to UK-Med, which is providing a field hospital on the ground that is desperately needed. We have also ensured that there will be continued provision of the items of medicine, food and nutrition that are required; we will play our part in that.