Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Desmond Swayne and Tommy Sheppard

Wednesday 28th October 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Swayne]

I welcome the hon. Gentleman to the Front Bench. It is important to put our money where our mouth is, and £44 million to the UNHCR is an important part of the answer. It is vital to work with the UNHCR and the Norwegian Refugee Council, and to lobby the host Government. Unfortunately I do not rule Lebanon.

[Tommy Sheppard (Edinburgh East) (SNP)]

5. What recent assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

[The Minister of State, Department for International Development (Mr Desmond Swayne)]

Some 2.3 million people in Gaza and the west bank have insecure access to food, and 1.4 million are in need of water, sanitation and hygiene. This month 58 Palestinians and eight Israelis have been killed, and 7,042 Palestinians and 70 Israelis have been injured.

[Tommy Sheppard]

I have a related question on Gaza, if I may. What assessment has been made of the destruction of UK-funded facilities in Gaza by the bombing of the Israeli air force? It seems that we provide facilities, either directly or through the UN, but then those facilities get bombed and we have to provide them again. What can be done to stop that tragic merry-go-round, and will the Minister work with colleagues to try to persuade the Israeli Government to have a more proportionate response in Gaza and to stop hindering the relief effort?

[Mr Speaker]

I am sorry but these questions are too long. We are very short of time—we need pithy inquiries.