Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to support the long-term development of (a) healthcare, (b) electricity, (c) sanitation and (d) other vital infrastructure in Gaza.

a) We are supporting 11 hospitals in Gaza through £1.5 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross. Our longstanding support to UNRWA provides primary healthcare to 1.3 million people in Gaza. The UK regularly raises the issuance of medical permits, which is vital for healthcare for Gazans, with the Israeli authorities.

b) The UK will work with Israel, the Palestinian Authority, other donors and the Office of the Quartet to provide a sustainable electricity supply to Gaza. This requires greater domestic electricity capacity and energy imports from Israel and Egypt as well as institutional reform.

c) UK funding to UNICEF is helping 2 million Gazans access clean safe water and stopping the spread of disease by providing over 1000 roof water tanks and disinfecting 280 wells, 38 desalination plants and 40 reservoirs.

d) The UK has already provided support to water infrastructure and will support other infrastructure investments through our new economic development programme. We welcome the proposals of UN Special Representative of the Secretary General, Mladenov, and are keen to see further details.