Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Stepney)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps her Department has taken to help prevent violations of international law by the Arakan Army in Myanmar.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We remain deeply concerned by reports of human rights violations in western Myanmar, and continue to push for accountability for such abuses, wherever they occur. Since 2021, the UK has provided £900,000 to the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar to support the collection, verification, and preservation of evidence for future prosecution, and established the Myanmar Witness programme to verify open-source evidence of human rights violations.
As penholder on Myanmar at the UN Security Council, we convened four Council meetings in 2025 to spotlight the crisis and one most recently in March this year. We also co-sponsored the UN Human Rights Council's recent resolution on the situation in Myanmar, condemning ongoing violations, particularly against ethnic minorities.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Stepney)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department has taken in response to the recommendations made by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Myanmar in his country visit report to the UK in December 2025.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 10 April in response to Question HL16049, which - for ease of reference - is reproduced below:
The UK continues to use its penholder role at the UN Security Council (UNSC) to shine a spotlight on the Myanmar crisis. We convened four Council meetings in 2025 to spotlight the crisis and one most recently in March this year. We welcome the report of the UN Special Rapporteur, and condemn airstrikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure, as we did at the UK-convened meeting of the UNSC on 22 December 2025. The statement made at that meeting by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Chargé d'Affaires to the UN, is reproduced below:
"This morning, the Security Council will meet privately to discuss the situation in Myanmar. We will hear updates from ASEAN Special Envoy Othman Hashim and the UN Special Envoy Julie Bishop.
Nearly five years since the Myanmar military overturned the democratically elected government, the UK remains deeply concerned at the ongoing violence. The military must de-escalate and cease its violence, including airstrikes on civilians. Targeted attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure must stop. We strongly condemn the recent airstrike on a hospital in Rakhine State this month, which killed more than 30 civilians.
The humanitarian situation in Myanmar also remains catastrophic. Over 16 million people will require life-saving assistance in 2026. The UK has provided over $100 million this fiscal year. But financial support can only have real impact if access is granted.
Finally, the UK is clear: any meaningful election requires an end to violence and dialogue amongst all parties concerned. And there are no indications that the planned elections will be perceived as free or fair. Elections under current circumstances risk provoking further violence and make a long-term solution more elusive.
The UK reiterates our support for ASEAN's central role in pursuit of a solution to the ongoing crisis. We stand in solidarity with the people of Myanmar and their desire for a peaceful, inclusive, and democratic future. We will keep the Myanmar crisis on the Council's agenda."
In addition, we continue to consider designations under our sanctions regimes, including the Myanmar Sanctions Regulations, as guided by the evidence. It is the UK's long-standing policy not to speculate about future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce their impact.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Stepney)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department plans to (a) introduce sanctions and (b) take other steps to help prevent Iran from providing (i) jet fuel and (ii) drones to the Myanmar military.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 10 April in response to Question HL16049, which - for ease of reference - is reproduced below:
The UK continues to use its penholder role at the UN Security Council (UNSC) to shine a spotlight on the Myanmar crisis. We convened four Council meetings in 2025 to spotlight the crisis and one most recently in March this year. We welcome the report of the UN Special Rapporteur, and condemn airstrikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure, as we did at the UK-convened meeting of the UNSC on 22 December 2025. The statement made at that meeting by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Chargé d'Affaires to the UN, is reproduced below:
"This morning, the Security Council will meet privately to discuss the situation in Myanmar. We will hear updates from ASEAN Special Envoy Othman Hashim and the UN Special Envoy Julie Bishop.
Nearly five years since the Myanmar military overturned the democratically elected government, the UK remains deeply concerned at the ongoing violence. The military must de-escalate and cease its violence, including airstrikes on civilians. Targeted attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure must stop. We strongly condemn the recent airstrike on a hospital in Rakhine State this month, which killed more than 30 civilians.
The humanitarian situation in Myanmar also remains catastrophic. Over 16 million people will require life-saving assistance in 2026. The UK has provided over $100 million this fiscal year. But financial support can only have real impact if access is granted.
Finally, the UK is clear: any meaningful election requires an end to violence and dialogue amongst all parties concerned. And there are no indications that the planned elections will be perceived as free or fair. Elections under current circumstances risk provoking further violence and make a long-term solution more elusive.
The UK reiterates our support for ASEAN's central role in pursuit of a solution to the ongoing crisis. We stand in solidarity with the people of Myanmar and their desire for a peaceful, inclusive, and democratic future. We will keep the Myanmar crisis on the Council's agenda."
In addition, we continue to consider designations under our sanctions regimes, including the Myanmar Sanctions Regulations, as guided by the evidence. It is the UK's long-standing policy not to speculate about future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce their impact.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Stepney)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has plans to impose new sanctions on Myanmar’s military regime.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 10 April in response to Question HL16049, which - for ease of reference - is reproduced below:
The UK continues to use its penholder role at the UN Security Council (UNSC) to shine a spotlight on the Myanmar crisis. We convened four Council meetings in 2025 to spotlight the crisis and one most recently in March this year. We welcome the report of the UN Special Rapporteur, and condemn airstrikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure, as we did at the UK-convened meeting of the UNSC on 22 December 2025. The statement made at that meeting by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Chargé d'Affaires to the UN, is reproduced below:
"This morning, the Security Council will meet privately to discuss the situation in Myanmar. We will hear updates from ASEAN Special Envoy Othman Hashim and the UN Special Envoy Julie Bishop.
Nearly five years since the Myanmar military overturned the democratically elected government, the UK remains deeply concerned at the ongoing violence. The military must de-escalate and cease its violence, including airstrikes on civilians. Targeted attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure must stop. We strongly condemn the recent airstrike on a hospital in Rakhine State this month, which killed more than 30 civilians.
The humanitarian situation in Myanmar also remains catastrophic. Over 16 million people will require life-saving assistance in 2026. The UK has provided over $100 million this fiscal year. But financial support can only have real impact if access is granted.
Finally, the UK is clear: any meaningful election requires an end to violence and dialogue amongst all parties concerned. And there are no indications that the planned elections will be perceived as free or fair. Elections under current circumstances risk provoking further violence and make a long-term solution more elusive.
The UK reiterates our support for ASEAN's central role in pursuit of a solution to the ongoing crisis. We stand in solidarity with the people of Myanmar and their desire for a peaceful, inclusive, and democratic future. We will keep the Myanmar crisis on the Council's agenda."
In addition, we continue to consider designations under our sanctions regimes, including the Myanmar Sanctions Regulations, as guided by the evidence. It is the UK's long-standing policy not to speculate about future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce their impact.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Stepney)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much official development assistance has been allocated to Myanmar for the 2026-2027 financial year.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to be a leading humanitarian donor in Myanmar, having provided over £80 million over the past financial year (2025/26) in life-saving humanitarian assistance, emergency healthcare and support for education and civil society, including £25 million for people affected by the March 2025 earthquake. Over the past year, we have supported over 1.4 million people with humanitarian assistance and provided 1.3 million people with essential health services.
We will set out the details of future allocations to Myanmar, and the programmes to be funded, in due course, but we will continue to stand by those in greatest need of lifesaving assistance, as well as reducing drivers of conflict.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Stepney)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the UK's compliance with the UN Human Rights Council resolution on the Situation of human rights in Myanmar of 4 April 2024, A/HRC/55/L.17, in the context of the involvement of UK-based companies in supply chains delivering jet fuel to Myanmar that could be used by the military in that country.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
In 2022 we updated our Overseas Business Risk Guidance to make it clear that UK businesses operating in Myanmar should conduct thorough supply chain due diligence. This guidance is regularly updated. Additionally, we have met and will continue to meet with representatives of the UK Insurance Sector, noting the importance of conducting thorough supply chain due diligence in Myanmar to ensure that commodities, such as aviation fuel, do not reach the Myanmar military. We continue to look at further sanction and non-sanction measures to tackle the military's ability to use air capabilities to target civilians.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Stepney)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, when his Department last raised the case of Karim Ennarah with the Egyptian Government.
Answered by David Rutley
The Minister for North Africa, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, last raised Karim Ennarah's case with the Egyptian Ambassador on 20 February 2024 and also raised this case with Foreign Minister Shoukry during his visit to Cairo last year. Our Embassy in Cairo continues to raise the challenges faced by human rights defenders with the Egyptian authorities, and UK representatives have also done so via Item IV Statements at the Human Rights Council. Human rights defenders make a vital contribution to the health of all societies and should be able to conduct their work and lives unimpeded in Egypt, fully benefiting from their rights under the Egyptian Constitution.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Stepney)
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 support global immunisation and vaccination efforts; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically impacted global health and immunisation. The UK Government is committed to supporting efforts to get routine immunisation back on track and has invested £1.65 billion to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance from 2021-2025 to support their mission to immunise 300 million children and save up to 8 million lives from vaccine preventable diseases over this period. The UK has supported Gavi since its inception in 2000, during which time Gavi has vaccinated more than 1 billion children in 78 lower-income countries, saving over 17 million lives. Alongside our Gavi investment, we are working with countries to build stronger primary health care systems as a core part of restoring immunisation services.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Stepney)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage his international counterparts to stop the supply of (a) arms, (b) military equipment, (c) fuel and (d) funds to Myanmar.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Since the coup in February 2021, the UK has announced fifteen rounds of targeted sanctions on the military leadership and those who seek to profit from supplying the regime in Myanmar. The UK continues to work closely with international partners, including the US, EU and Canada, to take robust action to reduce the military's access to arms, military equipment, fuel and funds and to pressure those who sell arms to the military. We have used, and will continue to use, our role at the G7 and the UN to this end.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Stepney)
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 implications for his policies of the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights A/HRC/54/59: Situation of human rights in Myanmar, published on 19 September 2023.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
The UK shares the findings of the report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the increasingly dire human rights situation in Myanmar. We remain committed to targeting the regime's access to finance and arms, including through sanctions on the military leadership to inhibit access to revenue and equipment. Accountability is key in stopping the atrocities committed against the Myanmar people. To support the preservation of evidence for future prosecution, we have provided over £600,000 to the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar and established the Myanmar Witness project. Continued humanitarian access and assistance remains a UK priority in Myanmar.