Asked by: Steve Witherden (Labour - Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what proportion of the humanitarian aid budget for (a) the Gaza conflict and (b) all global humanitarian crises is specifically allocated for (i) social protection mechanisms and (ii) targeted cash grants for older people; and what specific steps the Department is taking to ensure that (A) age, (B) gender and (C) disability are considered by implementing partners to prioritise older people in the delivery of assistance.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We recognise that people with existing vulnerabilities, including older people, can be disproportionately affected by humanitarian crises. All organisations which receive Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office funding are required to demonstrate commitment to equality and inclusion in their work, to ensure our assistance reaches those in greatest need. The UK is actively supporting humanitarian efforts in Gaza - we are providing £78 million for humanitarian and early recovery support for Palestine this financial year. This includes the UK's support to UK-Med, which has enabled 800,000 patient consultations to take place in Gaza, including supporting vulnerable groups and the elderly.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact on (a) disabled and (b) older people in Gaza of (i) delays in, (ii) obstructions of and (iii) the suspension of the delivery of humanitarian aid; and what contingency plans her Department has to respond to such scenarios.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Marginalised groups such as people with disabilities and the elderly are disproportionately impacted by long standing conflicts including the war in Gaza, and by humanitarian provision which only allows those able to carry aid over long distances to secure food. We continue to work, alongside regional partners, including Egypt and Jordan, to enable the UN and non-governmental organisations to ensure aid reaches all those in Gaza, and we continue to urge the Israeli authorities to allow the unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid to alleviate the suffering of older people, and others.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Israeli counterpart on the provision of (a) unimpeded and (b) sustained access for humanitarian agencies delivering aid to (i) older people and (ii) others at heightened risk in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Marginalised groups such as people with disabilities and the elderly are disproportionately impacted by long standing conflicts including the war in Gaza, and by humanitarian provision which only allows those able to carry aid over long distances to secure food. We continue to work, alongside regional partners, including Egypt and Jordan, to enable the UN and non-governmental organisations to ensure aid reaches all those in Gaza, and we continue to urge the Israeli authorities to allow the unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid to alleviate the suffering of older people, and others.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with international humanitarian organisations on the delivery of humanitarian aid to (a) older women with caring responsibilities and (b) older people generally in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Marginalised groups such as people with disabilities and the elderly are disproportionately impacted by long standing conflicts including the war in Gaza, and by humanitarian provision which only allows those able to carry aid over long distances to secure food. We continue to work, alongside regional partners, including Egypt and Jordan, to enable the UN and non-governmental organisations to ensure aid reaches all those in Gaza, and we continue to urge the Israeli authorities to allow the unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid to alleviate the suffering of older people, and others.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Israeli counterpart on the potential impact of the conflict in Gaza on older people's (a) mobility, (b) access to healthcare and (c) access to age-appropriate humanitarian assistance.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Marginalised groups such as people with disabilities and the elderly are disproportionately impacted by long standing conflicts including the war in Gaza, and by humanitarian provision which only allows those able to carry aid over long distances to secure food. We continue to work, alongside regional partners, including Egypt and Jordan, to enable the UN and non-governmental organisations to ensure aid reaches all those in Gaza, and we continue to urge the Israeli authorities to allow the unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid to alleviate the suffering of older people, and others.
Asked by: Martin Rhodes (Labour - Glasgow North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 18 June 2025 to Question 57552 on Humanitarian Aid: Older People, if he will place in the Library copies of (a) the robust indicators on Sex, Age and Disability (SAD) data disaggregation and (b) any associated guidance required of UN agencies on their application for UK funding.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK's Business Case and Logical Framework for our core humanitarian funding to the UN, covering the indicators on sex, age and disability disaggregated data is available for public access on the Government's Dev Tracker website. Our Humanitarian Response Funding Guidelines for NGOs are likewise available online on gov.uk.
Asked by: Martin Rhodes (Labour - Glasgow North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the specific needs of older people are met through the UK’s humanitarian responses.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Ensuring the inclusion and active participation of marginalised people, and the organisations which represent them, is a core component of the UK's approach to humanitarian and development policy and programming, and we continue to champion inclusion of marginalised people in conflict and crisis settings. This includes people who may face challenges due to their age, gender, disability or other protected characteristics.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office 'Humanitarian Response Funding Guidelines for NGOs' set out specific requirements to ensure needs of affected populations are met, including older people. We have also attached robust indicators to our UN core funding on Sex, Age and Disability (SAD) data disaggregation to inform an inclusive approach.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) reach older people with targeted humanitarian and social protection support and (b) ensure data on humanitarian and social protection is (i) age-disaggregated and (ii) inclusive of older people.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
The UK works to ensure that all humanitarian assistance reaches the most vulnerable, including those who are vulnerable because of their age. FCDO works with governments and partners to strengthen and expand inclusive social protection systems to reach more vulnerable people, including older people.
The FCDO is signed up to and provides a leading role as a co-facilitator of the Inclusive Data Charter which commits the FCDO to collecting data disaggregated by gender, disability, age and geography where possible. We currently do not have comprehensive age disaggregated data at an aggregate level but continue to work with partners to collect more disaggregated data, including on age, in a standardised way.
Asked by: Baroness Sheehan (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that an inclusive approach, which includes older people, to humanitarian responses will continue to be one of the priorities of the new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The UK is committed to ensuring that our assistance reaches the most marginalised and vulnerable people who will be the worst affected by humanitarian crises and most at risk. This includes older people as well as other marginalised groups, such as women and girls, and people with disabilities.
We are deeply concerned about the significant impact of COVID-19 on older people, people with disabilities, and other marginalised groups. Through £50 million of support to over 29 countries, UK aid is helping to meet the needs of the most vulnerable groups, including older people, through effective communication about personal hygiene, particularly the importance of handwashing. DFID is also engaging internationally to push for greater consideration of vulnerable groups, including older people, across the COVID-19 response.
Support for the most marginalised and vulnerable populations remains part of this government’s mission. We will continue to prioritise those furthest left behind and champion the inclusion of vulnerable groups in our humanitarian responses.
Asked by: Baroness Sheehan (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to concentrate their international response to COVID-19 in low- and middle-income countries on those who are 60 years old and above.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
We recognise that that older people, people with disabilities, people with pre-existing conditions, and those with complex needs are disproportionately impacted and at more serious risk of severe complications and fatality due to COVID-19. We are working hard to ensure that our help reaches those most in need, including older people, through close collaboration with our partners.
Our funding is supporting a range of initiatives and partners to ensure that it can reach those in need and strengthening fragile health services in the world’s poorest countries where there is a high chance of the disease spreading rapidly.
This includes supporting the United Nation’s Global Humanitarian Response Plan to tackle COVID-19 and help to the most vulnerable across the globe. The plan explicitly identifies older people given their susceptibility to the virus and their broader vulnerability. Our latest UK aid announcement on 12 April of £200 million, is supporting humanitarian organisations to help reduce mass infections in developing countries that often lack the healthcare systems to track and halt the virus. This includes £130 million to UN agencies in response to their COVID-19 humanitarian appeals.
In order to reduce transmission, the UK government is also working with Unilever to fund a £100 million global hygiene programme. This campaign will be tailored to communities to ensure messages are inclusive and effective. It will reach up to a billion people worldwide, raising awareness and changing behaviour, to make sure that people are washing their hands with soap regularly and disinfecting surfaces. The programme will also provide over 20 million hygiene products in the developing world, including in areas where there is little or no sanitation.
In addition, we are redirecting existing support and programmes to be more responsive to COVID-19.