Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help ensure that UNWRA's work in Gaza can resume.

Our support for United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has been unwavering. We have been clear that the United Nations and humanitarian partners must be allowed to operate in line with humanitarian principles to deliver aid and save lives. The vital work of UNRWA in ensuring that Palestinians have access to education and healthcare must be protected in Gaza as well as the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The Minister for Development met UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini on 12 May and reiterated our support for the organisation and its critical role in delivering desperately needed aid and services to Palestinians. In the last financial year, we provided £41 million in support to UNRWA to deliver vital services to Palestinians in the region.