Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many women and girls have been assisted by UK aid programmes in the Kurdish region of Iraq in the last 12 months.

In response to the current crisis, the UK has allocated an overall aid package of £23 million for 2014/15 to support the needs of internally displaced people in Iraq. £18.7 million of this has been allocated for Northern Iraq. Given the displacement and movement of people in Iraq, it is not possible to have precise information on the number of women and girls assisted by UK aid programmes in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

DFID funding includes programming to prevent and respond to sexual violence. Activities include establishing women and children’s community centres, which provide group counselling and support for women, as well as offering safe spaces for children to play and learn.