Asked by: Kate Osamor (Independent - Edmonton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to help support reconstruction in Nepal.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Following the recent earthquake in Nepal, the UK supported the initial humanitarian response through the distribution of prepositioned relief items, support to broader UN coordination and through contributions to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Disaster Response Emergency Fund. Subsequently, the UK has made contributions of £200,000 to the World Food Programme to help deliver unconditional humanitarian cash to 1,730 families, and a contribution of £200,000 to the Start Fund Nepal which is working with local governments to construct temporary shelters, providing winterisation support to affected communities and helping the most vulnerable and marginalised groups.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Independent - Edmonton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had discussions with his Israeli counterpart on reports of Israel’s use of artificial intelligence to identify targets in Gaza.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Both the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have met with a range of senior Israeli officials, including the Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Herzog, to discuss Israel's approach to the campaign in Gaza. They have stressed the critical importance of abiding by International Humanitarian Law, minimising civilian casualties, and of acting in a way that delivers long-term security. It is the longstanding policy of successive UK Governments that we do not comment on military intelligence matters.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Independent - Edmonton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what discussions he has had with his Turkish counterpart on the attacks in north-east Syria.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
As a close NATO ally, we regularly engage the Turkish Government on regional stability, including in Syria. The former Foreign Secretary and I (Minister for Europe) discussed this issue with Turkish counterparts during visits to Ankara in September and November respectively. The UK recognises Turkey's legitimate security interests in the region but encourages restraint from activity that could lead to further destabilisation or civilian loss of life. Security and stability in the region are necessary to prevent worsening of the already serious humanitarian situation in northern Syria and enable the Global Coalition and its partners to continue the fight against Daesh.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Independent - Edmonton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his Nigerian counterpart on the drone strike in Kaduna State.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK acknowledges the tragic deaths of civilians in Tudun Biri in Kaduna State on 3 December 2023. We welcome President Tinubu's commitment to launch an investigation into the incident. Our British High Commission Defence Section in Abuja will be offering support to the Nigerian Armed Forces to improve their targeting processes and practices. The UK will continue to emphasise to Nigeria's security forces the importance of human security and civil-military coordination on operations. UK support for building Nigeria's defence capacity routinely includes training on international humanitarian law and protection of civilians.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Independent - Edmonton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the report by the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development entitled Sowing the Seeds of Poverty: How the World Bank Harms Poor Farmers, published on 26 April 2023.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are aware of the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development report. The World Bank does not have a policy in place that restricts farmers in choosing their seeds. The Bank advocates the use of quality seeds and has helped protect farmers, local production, and food security in developing countries. An efficient national agricultural innovation system and an effective seed certification system is essential to meet the challenges agriculture faces in developing countries. The UK is supporting this longer-term goal to do both, boost food security, incomes, and climate adaptation and resilience. The World Bank has committed to full alignment of all its sovereign lending with the Paris Agreement by 1 July 2023. We are holding the Bank to account through the Board.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Independent - Edmonton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has taken steps to allocate Official Development Assistance to people displaced by violence in Las Anod.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The humanitarian impact of the ongoing fighting in Las Anod has been severe with more than 180,000 people displaced from their homes. We are closely monitoring the situation and providing a range of support. The UK-supported Start Fund is delivering through Oxfam to provide support to displaced households. Over 1,200 families will receive two months of food assistance, and 2,330 households will receive support to access emergency water supplies. We have also pivoted funding to United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to provide needed dignity and menstrual hygiene kits to almost 5,000 women and girls displaced by the fighting in Las Anod. Our health programme delivered through UNICEF is also working in the regions hosting displaced people, providing essential health and nutrition support.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Independent - Edmonton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if his Department will take steps to host a donor conference to help tackle drought in East Africa.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We are working with several international and UN partners to organise a humanitarian pledging conference for the Horn of Africa. The event is scheduled to take place in New York on 24 May. It will help us to mobilise urgent funding for immediate humanitarian needs and to identify long-term solutions to the region's recurrent crises including drought.
The UK is a leading humanitarian donor to the region with more than £1 billion provided in relief aid since 2019. UK funded activities are saving lives and making a difference.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Independent - Edmonton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help increase the participation of (a) women's rights and (b) women-led organisations at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in June 2023.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
We are keen to ensure that representation at the Ukraine Recovery Conference is from an inclusive and diverse range of participants. The UK is co-hosting the conference with the Government of Ukraine and we are working closely together on a guest list which includes civil society participation, including women-led organisations and those who advocate for women's rights.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Independent - Edmonton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government is taking steps to help ensure the (a) participation and (b) resourcing of women-led organisations at pledging conferences for international humanitarian emergencies.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK is committed to improving women's leadership in humanitarian crises. Last year, we co-hosted the Afghanistan Pledging Conference, providing a platform for Afghan women's rights activists to speak. We are committed to supporting women-led organisations in crises. In 2022 we provided $185 million to the UN's Country Based Pooled Funds, which direct humanitarian funding to local organisations, including women-led organisations. This year we launched the £38 million Advancing Gender Equality through support to Women's Rights Organisations programme, which will provide grants to women's rights organisations and work to amplify their voices in key fora such as pledging conferences.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Independent - Edmonton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if the Government will press for the use of the Loss and Damage Facility Fund to provide support in climate emergencies.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
At COP27, the UK and all parties agreed to establish new funding arrangements for responding to loss and damage including a dedicated fund. A Transitional Committee (TC) was established under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to develop recommendations on these new arrangements. The UK is actively engaged with this process as a TC member and the first meeting was held in March where a future workplan was agreed. The UK will work to ensure that the fund and wider funding arrangements effectively deliver support to the most vulnerable people suffering losses and damages caused by climate change.