Asked by: Naz Shah (Labour - Bradford West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the progress of the African Union’s Peace initiative in Tigray, Ethiopia.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
We welcome the agreements signed between the Ethiopian Government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) on 2 November and 12 November. If implemented in full, they can serve as the basis for a lasting peace. However, it will require sustained and magnanimous leadership on all sides, and support from Ethiopia's friends across the international community. The UK Government has offered its support to the Ethiopian Government and the African Union.
The cessation of hostilities is largely holding and humanitarian convoys have begun entering Tigray. As of 24 November, an estimated 118 trucks in 12 convoys had reached Tigray. However, more needs to be done by both sides to ensure implementation of the agreement is sustained, essential services are restored and aid reaches the millions of people in desperate need.
Asked by: Naz Shah (Labour - Bradford West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will support transparent, accountable justice for survivors of sexual violence in Ethiopia.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
The UK is committed to preventing and responding to conflict-related sexual violence. We have consistently called for an end to the appalling violations and abuses of human rights, including sexual violence, committed by all sides to the conflict in northern Ethiopia, and for the perpetrators of these acts to be held to account and support for victims. We therefore welcome the recent the agreement to implement a comprehensive national transitional justice policy aimed at accountability, redress for victims, reconciliation, and healing.
We continue to support the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE). We will work with the Ethiopian Government and civil society in their efforts to hold perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses to account, including building the capacity of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission through the UK's Human Rights and Peacebuilding programme (HARP).
Asked by: Naz Shah (Labour - Bradford West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the number of civilians killed in the Ethiopian and Eritrean offensive in the Tigray region of Ethiopia launched on 1 September 2022.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
Information on casualties from the conflict in northern Ethiopia is scarce. Since the resumption of fighting on 24 August it is likely that there have been thousands of casualties.
The UK welcomes the agreements signed between the Ethiopian Government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) on 2 November and 12 November. They provide for an end to two years of brutal conflict in northern Ethiopia. The UK calls upon the Eritrean Government to support the agreement by withdrawing its troops from Ethiopia.
Asked by: Naz Shah (Labour - Bradford West)
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 to co-operate with European countries to ensure that aid is being provided to Ukraine.
Answered by Leo Docherty
The UK and European partners are working closely on providing aid to Ukraine; military equipment, cyber resilience, humanitarian and economic support and energy resilience. As part of our response, we have deployed UK humanitarian experts to Poland, Romania and Moldova. On energy, the UK has provided €54.3 million in guarantees that has unlocked a total of €97.3 million of EBRD financing the Ukrainian electricity transmission system operator, Ukrenergo. The Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and other Ministers are in regular contact with their European counterparts, including at UNGA, G7 and G20 meetings and at the European Political Community Summit where leaders agreed on the importance of UK-EU cooperation to support Ukraine for as long as it takes.
Asked by: Naz Shah (Labour - Bradford West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much aid the UK provided to Pakistan for flooding recovery in 2010.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The UK stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Pakistan as it faces the consequences of the recent devastating flooding. The UK Government provided significant support to Pakistan in response to the 2010 crisis, providing £81 million in humanitarian assistance. While the scale of the recent flooding is greater than 2010, Pakistan is better prepared and more capable in responding to complex emergencies than it was previously.
Overall, since 2010, the UK has provided £342 million in humanitarian assistance to Pakistan supporting over 8 million people following natural disasters and conflict through water and sanitation; livelihoods support; protection mechanisms and shelter.
Asked by: Naz Shah (Labour - Bradford West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much aid the UK has provided to Pakistan for flood recovery since 2010.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The UK stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Pakistan as it faces the consequences of the recent devastating flooding. The UK Government provided significant support to Pakistan in response to the 2010 crisis, providing £81 million in humanitarian assistance. While the scale of the recent flooding is greater than 2010, Pakistan is better prepared and more capable in responding to complex emergencies than it was previously.
Overall, since 2010, the UK has provided £342 million in humanitarian assistance to Pakistan supporting over 8 million people following natural disasters and conflict through water and sanitation; livelihoods support; protection mechanisms and shelter.