Nepal: UK Government Support

Gregory Campbell Excerpts

Wednesday 14th October 2026 Westminster Hall

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

As always, it is an absolute pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms McVey. Thank you for what you do as Chair. I commend the hon. Member for Reading Central (Matt Rodda) for bringing this issue forward. He set the scene incredibly well, with calmness, assuredness and knowledge; I thank him for that, and I look forward to the other contributions. This debate matters not narrowly in a diplomatic sense but in a deeply human and moral sense, so I am grateful to have the opportunity to contribute.

In September, Nepal experienced catastrophic flooding that swept through the Kathmandu valley and surrounding regions. If we close our eyes for a second, we can almost imagine that torrent of water and the debris that came with it, which swept everything ahead of it. That reminds us of the fickleness of man and how dangerous nature can be when things go wrong. Towns were submerged, homes were destroyed and lives were lost in devastating numbers. One image that sticks in my mind is the border post: people were walking across or crossing in buses and cars, when the flood suddenly came and everything disappeared. That is how quickly things happened.

Hundreds of people perished, thousands more were displaced and entire communities were left without shelter, clean water or hope. I say those things not as statistics, but as someone who has an interest in Nepal—of course, every one of us is here because we have an interest in Nepal. I chair the APPG for international freedom of religion or belief, which visited Nepal. The last delegation was led by Fiona Bruce, the former Member for Congleton, and the APPG produced a report afterwards to reflect some of our concerns.

I should have said earlier that it is always a pleasure to see the Minister in his place. He has a quiet and sure way with him and reassures us about things that concern us. I have three requests for him, which I gave to civil servants beforehand.

[Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry) (DUP)]

My hon. Friend is outlining the horrendous events in Nepal. Does he agree that one heartwarming thing that arose in the midst of that devastation was the number of faith groups across the UK, especially in Northern Ireland, that rallied round to raise significant amounts of money to help with the horrendous problems that many people in Nepal continue to face?

[Jim Shannon]

I was going to refer to that, but my hon. Friend beat me to it. In the middle of the devastation, heartache and despair, we can be encouraged by those who have made a significant effort to help.

Among all the devastation, what reminded me of how close people were to their final times in this world was the school where the principal, aware of the flood coming down the valley, got all the children out and higher up the mountain. They ran to get away, and those seconds saved their lives, as the flood came down and submerged the school where they had been 10 minutes earlier.

I do not want to be churlish about the genuine relief efforts that followed or the significant contributions made by those in my hon. Friend’s constituency and all our constituencies—indeed, the hon. Member for Reading Central talked about those earlier. However, the humanitarian crisis created by the floods has compounded an existing and deeply troubling pattern of religious persecution—the situation was already fragile before the waters rose.

Nepal’s Christian community, its Muslim minority and other religious groups were disproportionately affected in the aftermath. I say this to have it recorded, because my churches and those with friends or family in Nepal are getting reports about aid distribution. For example, Open Doors International and Aid to the Church in Need, two significant Christian groups involved, have both documented evidentially that aid was not always distributed equitably.

Reports gathered by the APPG indicate that minority faith communities in Nepal—who are marginalised as it is, and who already face the threat of Nepal’s anti-conversion laws, which have got stronger, more draconian and more focused—found themselves further disenfranchised in the recovery process. They were already marginalised and at the back of the queue, but they were even more disenfranchised when it came to aid. Neighbours who share a faith with local officials received assistance first, and those who did not waited. That is not speculation; witnesses confirm that they heard it from community leaders, who spoke with quiet dignity about what they had endured. That is certainly never our intention with aid, but unfortunately it happened in Nepal.

Nepal’s anti-conversion legislation effectively proscribes the sharing of faith. I am a Christian, but I believe strongly that those of other faiths should have the right to practise their faiths, just as I do. I believe that in my heart, and I expect others to believe that. Unfortunately, that is not what is happening in Nepal. This has created a chilling environment even as aid workers have sought to reach the most vulnerable. Amnesty International has raised serious concerns as well—this is documented at a high level. The APPG report following Fiona Bruce’s visit as the leader of the deputation underlines that freedom of religion or belief is intrinsic to human dignity and human rights, and that a disaster must never be used as an instrument of discrimination.

My three asks of the Minister are these. First, will the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland’s humanitarian response to Nepal specifically include mechanisms to ensure that religious minority communities are not discriminated against in the distribution of aid? I would love to say that things have improved. When I first came to Parliament, way back in 2010, there were floods in Pakistan, where I have many friends; the floods swept right down through Pakistan, destroying much in front of them. Christian groups in Pakistan were not getting the aid that was coming through. Unfortunately, some 15 or 16 years later, we find that Christians in Nepal are not getting an equal distribution of aid.

Secondly, will the Government engage with the APPG for international freedom of religion or belief to ensure that our diplomatic presence in Kathmandu is actively monitoring FORB conditions during this crisis? That is really important, and I am sure the Minister will confirm that that is the case, but I put the question on the record. Thirdly, will the Minister kindly write to me with a timeline for that engagement?

I will conclude, because I am conscious that others want to speak. The lifeblood of any credible foreign policy is its consistency. We must stand for the same principles in Kathmandu as we proclaim in this Chamber. I always end with scripture, because it is important that we focus on what the good book tells us. Proverbs 31:8-9 talks of standing up for the oppressed and speaking for those who have no voice. Today, in this House, we have the privilege of being that spokesperson for the people in Nepal who do not have a voice in the country they live in. I commend this debate to the House, and I very much look forward to the Minister’s response.