Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the availability of (a) food, (b) medicine and (c) energy supplies in Nagorno Karabakh; and whether his Department plans to help support international agencies to provide critical supplies to people in the region.
Answered by Leo Docherty
The UK Government closely monitors the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, and where we have concerns we have prominently highlighted them both in private engagements with our counterparts in the region, and publicly through the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the United Nations Security Council. The UK has a strong record of supporting humanitarian responses in this region and FCDO officials are in close contact with humanitarian agencies about the situation on the ground. The START FUND, a humanitarian response fund to which the UK is a significant donor, has allocated £350,000 to the region to support those affected by the closure of the Lachin Corridor.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the capacity of (a) the United Nations and (b) other humanitarian agencies to airlift people from the Lachin corridor.
Answered by Leo Docherty
Although the UK Government has not made a specific assessment of airlift capabilities, we remain in close contact with humanitarian agencies to understand the situation and needs of individuals on the ground. The UK Government has been vocal about the importance of re-opening the Lachin Corridor and will continue to support constructive dialogue in further contacts between the Armenian and Azerbaijani Governments in the coming months.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking with the Home Office to help support British citizens in Afghanistan who wish to leave that country.
Answered by Leo Docherty
The FCDO continues to advise against all travel to Afghanistan. British people who are in Afghanistan are able to leave by commercial means, including on commercial flights. There are currently no British consular officials in Afghanistan and our ability to provide assistance is severely limited. A hotline is available 24 hours a day for any British nationals in Afghanistan needing to speak to a consular officer. Consular teams in neighbouring countries are also able to offer some limited remote consular support.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has held discussions with his Israeli counterparts on opening an investigation into the deaths of Palestinians; and whether his Department is aware of any ongoing investigations into those deaths.
Answered by David Rutley
We frequently raise the issue of Palestinians killed and injured by Israeli Defence Forces in the West Bank and Gaza with the Israeli authorities. We encourage them to carry out swift, transparent and thorough investigations and, if wrongdoing is found, that those responsible be held to account. We will continue to stress the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population, particularly the need to protect children, and urge restraint in the use of live fire. The Foreign Secretary has made this clear to Israeli Foreign Minister Cohen during a phone call on 7 March.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Israeli counterpart on the legalisation of nine settlement outposts on 12 February 2023.
Answered by David Rutley
The UK's position on settlements is clear, as set out in a statement made by the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and Italy, the Foreign Secretary of the UK, and the Secretary of State of the US on 14 February. They are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace and threaten the physical viability of a two-state solution. We urge Israel to halt its settlement expansion. The Minister for the Middle East, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, set out this message during a call with the Israeli Ambassador to the UK on Thursday 16 February.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will clarify the UK’s position on the International Criminal Court’s investigation into alleged war crimes in the West Bank and Gaza.
Answered by David Rutley
The UK is a strong supporter of the International Criminal Court and we respect the independence of the Court. We do not consider that the ICC has jurisdiction in this instance as the UK does not currently recognise Palestinian statehood.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with the Home Secretary on the case of Maira Shahbaz.
Answered by Graham Stuart
It is longstanding Government policy not to comment on individual cases, where to do so may put individuals or their family members in danger.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support has been put in place to assist (a) Afghan refugees and (b) refugees of other non-Ukrainian nationality who were resident in Ukraine prior to the invasion by Russian troops on 24 February 2022.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
According to The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), prior to Russia's invasion, there were 5,000 refugees and asylum seekers in Ukraine, mainly from Afghanistan. The UNHCR is providing support to these and other individuals through its Appeal for Ukraine. The UK is a leading humanitarian donor on Ukraine, pledging £220 million. This includes providing crucial humanitarian assistance through the UNHCR, such as blankets, kitchen sets and hygiene kits. The (UK's) DEC Appeal has currently raised over £300 million for Ukraine: this total includes the UK's largest ever government aid-match at £25 million.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate she has made of the number of (a) Afghan refugees and (b) refugees from any third country that were resident in Ukraine prior to the invasion by Russian troops on 24 February 2022.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
According to The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), prior to Russia's invasion, there were 5,000 refugees and asylum seekers in Ukraine, mainly from Afghanistan. The UNHCR is providing support to these and other individuals through its Appeal for Ukraine. The UK is a leading humanitarian donor on Ukraine, pledging £220 million. This includes providing crucial humanitarian assistance through the UNHCR, such as blankets, kitchen sets and hygiene kits. The (UK's) DEC Appeal has currently raised over £300 million for Ukraine: this total includes the UK's largest ever government aid-match at £25 million.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to protect women and girls fleeing the war in Ukraine from abuse and exploitation by human traffickers.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
Modern slavery and human trafficking are abhorrent crimes that the government is committed to tackling. The FCDO has deployed humanitarian specialists to Poland, Moldova and Romania to ensure that the support we are providing to refugees, including women and girls, is tailored to the local context, including the threats they face. Our humanitarian support will be implemented by trusted humanitarian partners with expertise in protection and safeguarding. FCDO staff are reiterating the importance of protection and safeguarding considerations in this response, including the risk of human trafficking, when liaising with HQ and regional staff of multilateral and NGO agencies. More broadly we will continue to coordinate law enforcement efforts by working closely with EU partners to target trafficking routes across Europe, provide protection to the most vulnerable and take tough action against those who seek to exploit people for financial gain.