Gaza: Humanitarian Aid

Lord Dubs Excerpts

Wednesday 4th June 2025 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Lord Dubs]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what recent discussions they have had with the government of the United States of America and European Union partners about the provision of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

[The Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Baroness Chapman of Darlington) (Lab)]

My Lords, we are in regular contact with European Union partners and the US. The Foreign Secretary most recently raised the situation in Gaza with EU High Representative Kallas on 19 May, and last spoke to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on 11 May. The new EU-UK Security and Defence Partnership will enable stronger dialogue and co-operation on a range of issues, including the Middle East.

[Lord Dubs (Lab)]

My Lords, that is helpful. Does my noble friend agree that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is failing to meet the desperate needs of the people in Gaza, who are endangering their own lives as they seek to get water and food? Is not the only answer that Israel must be compelled to open up to the United Nations and humanitarian agencies? Will the Government seek to mobilise our friends and partners to achieve that?

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

My Lords, we and others predicted that the scheme that Israel decided to implement to get aid into Gaza would fail—and the manner in which it would fail. We are deeply saddened by what we are seeing and to receive the information coming out of Gaza about the failure of that scheme. The only way to get aid in at scale that we can currently see is to allow the UN and partners to deliver the aid where it is needed, at the speed and scale needed to save lives.