Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if her Department will make an assessment of whether its aid delivered through UN agencies is reaching religious minorities.

Our humanitarian aid operates under International Humanitarian Law and is provided based on need. As such it is available to people of all faiths and of none. All our partners carry out comprehensive vulnerability assessments to ensure aid is reaching those most in need, including those from religious minorities as it is already recognised that religion may be a factor in causing vulnerability.

We keep this under close review. For example, we will take on board the outcomes of a roundtable between UNHCR, local faith leaders and faith-based NGOs which was convened in Amman, Jordan by our Embassy officials on 23 January. This forum discussed UNHCR’s systems for ensuring impartiality and assessing vulnerability and protection needs (including resettlement opportunities) for refugee groups of all faiths.