Humanitarian Aid: Coronavirus

(asked on 28th April 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that humanitarian (a) access and (b) principles are protected in the global covid-19 response.


Answered by
James Cleverly Portrait
James Cleverly
Home Secretary
This question was answered on 4th May 2020

To date, the UK has committed £744 million of UK Aid to support global efforts to combat COVID-19. We are working with all our international partners to ensure aid is effectively distributed to vulnerable countries.

The UK is a key contributor to the UN’s Global Humanitarian Response Plan (GHRP), which focuses on humanitarian access, through securing the continuity of the supply chains for essential commodities and services, and supporting the most vulnerable, including protecting and assisting refugees, Internally Displaced Peoples, migrants and host communities.

We are co-leading work with Italy through the G7 to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable countries. A large part of this work is to ensure unhindered humanitarian access for vulnerable populations, and to make sure the global response is prioritising the most in need.

We are also using diplomatic channels to ensure that international humanitarian law and global commitments regarding the rights and protection of refugees and access to asylum are upheld in this crisis.

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