Official Development Assistance: Bilateral Allocations

Baroness D'Souza Excerpts

Tuesday 16th June 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

Given that UNRWA is the only agency that can really deliver what is needed at scale in what has become an incredibly challenging and militarised context, it is important that we maintain our funding of UNRWA, and we reinstated it when we came into power. I think that was the right decision and I stand by it. When there are issues and problems of the nature that the noble Lord outlines, the right thing for us to do is to make sure that they are dealt with. UNRWA has done so on occasions in the past. There have been reports and they have been acted on. It is our job to maintain that higher standard and those requirements of UNRWA.

[Baroness D'Souza (CB)]

My Lords, I understand that the FCDO sent a delegation to Afghanistan in recent weeks, and I wonder whether the Minister might be able to say something about the outcome of that visit, with particular reference to continuing assistance for women and girls.

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

Noble Lords do not need me to tell them just what a difficult context this is. Since the return of the Taliban, the prospects for women and girls have diminished greatly. We work closely with our partners, we still fund programmes in Afghanistan and we will continue to do so.