Humanitarian Situation in Sudan

Debate between Harpreet Uppal and Alice Macdonald

Tuesday 22nd July 2025 Westminster Hall

[Harpreet Uppal]

I will come on to that issue later, but I am sure the Minister has heard what the hon. Gentleman has said.

Previously, I have also raised in the House and with Ministers the terrible reality that rape and sexual violence are being used as weapons of war. Women and girls bear the brunt of the crisis: over 6.7 million of them are at risk of gender-based violence. Between December 2023 and December 2024, the UN found a 29% increase in the number of people seeking sexual and gender-based violence services. Reports of intimate partner violence, sexual exploitation and abuse, and the specific targeting of ethnic minority groups, are both widespread and on the rise.

[Alice Macdonald (Norwich North) (Lab/Co-op)]

I fully agree that this is a war being waged on the bodies of women and girls, but women are also women fighting back. I have met many brave women from women’s rights organisations, including my friend Emi Mahmoud, a UNHCR ambassador. Does my hon. Friend agree that when we are investing in our aid, we must ensure that a large percentage of it goes to women’s rights organisations that can lead the charge and find the solutions?

[Harpreet Uppal]

I agree with my hon. Friend and I will say more on those points later, but I thank her for everything that she is doing on this issue.

UNICEF’s report in March also highlighted a crisis of child rape and sexual violence. The #Women4Sudan campaign has tirelessly documented case studies of sexual violence in Sudan. The stories include that of a 14-year-old girl who suffered internal injuries after being brutally gang-raped; she was then let down by medical practitioners, who shamed the family. The young girl later died at home. In many cases, such stories never reach the outside world. The ongoing telecommunications blackout has made it extraordinarily difficult for survivors, families and organisations to communicate with journalists, humanitarian agencies and international bodies.

Youth Provision: Universal and Targeted Support

Debate between Harpreet Uppal and Alice Macdonald

Tuesday 11th February 2025 Westminster Hall

[Harpreet Uppal]

I agree with my hon. Friend. I will make a bit of progress before taking more interventions.

More than one in five children now have a diagnosable mental health condition, and many wait over a year to access a mental health specialist, with nearly 40,000 children waiting more than two years in 2023-24. Research shows that it is 100 times cheaper to treat a young person in the community than as an in-patient. The Government have taken steps to improve mental health support in schools, but youth services play a critical role in addressing these challenges early on. While I recognise all the work that this Government have already done to address these issues, the challenges facing the sector require more than short-term funding. The youth investment fund, for example, is helping to develop youth facilities, but it largely covers capital investment, leaving critical gaps in operational funding for staffing and programme delivery.

[Alice Macdonald (Norwich North) (Lab/Co-op)]

I thank my hon. Friend for her excellent speech. I totally agree that we need investment in capital as well as revenue funding. I recently brought together young people and youth organisations in Norwich to discuss the challenges they face, and there was a particular gap in the period between 3 pm and 7 pm. Does my hon. Friend agree that, when we are developing these strategies, we must make sure that the voices of those on the ground, particularly young people, are at the forefront?

[Harpreet Uppal]

My hon. Friend makes an excellent point. We must make sure that young people play a part in the programmes that are delivered for them.

While 22 young futures hubs are being piloted through the shared outcomes fund, they are only funded for one year. To recover from years of Conservative neglect, youth services need sustainable, long-term funding.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Harpreet Uppal and Alice Macdonald

Wednesday 13th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Alice Macdonald (Norwich North) (Lab/Co-op)]

8. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to tackle violence against women and girls.

[Harpreet Uppal (Huddersfield) (Lab)]

9. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to tackle violence against women and girls.