Category: Press Releases

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 August 2024.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Gaza.

Gaza has become the deadliest place in the world to be a child. Women and children continue to bear the brunt of this brutal conflict that since October 7 has killed over 40,000 people. Children account for nearly a third of identified casualties. We call on Israel to take all possible steps to avoid civilian casualties.

Over 100 innocent hostages remain captured by Hamas in Gaza. Time is running out for them as they remain in captivity subject to unimaginable horror. We call again for their immediate and unconditional release.

President, we’ve heard today that Gaza is on the brink of a devastating polio outbreak. Another deadly threat to a people already facing a multitude of deadly threats: ongoing bombardment, risk of famine and dire sanitary conditions. Meanwhile regional tensions remain high – any attack by Iran would have devastating consequences.

Urgent action is needed, on three fronts:

First, we need an immediate ceasefire. All sides need to focus on the negotiations led by the US, Egypt, and Qatar. These talks offer a vital opportunity to secure an immediate ceasefire that ends the conflict, gets the hostages out, allows urgent access to aid and de-escalates regional tensions.

We also urge Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah and other Iranian-aligned militia groups to stand down the ongoing threats of military escalation against Israel. All parties need to exercise restraint, as my Prime Minister has made clear in recent weeks.

Second, Gaza stands on the precipice of a polio outbreak with over 640,000 children under the age of 10 in need of vaccinations. We call on the parties to continue cooperating with the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, and partners to facilitate vaccine rollouts.

Israel needs to allow safe and unhindered aid access into and across Gaza and to put in place an effective deconfliction mechanism to ensure aid and vaccines can be delivered and administered safely.

Israel’s ramping up of new evacuation orders is causing chaos in Gaza. The humanitarian zone, now just covering 11% of Gaza, is chronically overcrowded with people desperately seeking shelter. It is not safe and it is still receiving fire.

British NGO, UK Med, reports that just last night their residential compound in a humanitarian zone was damaged by Israeli shelling.

Humanitarian actors are being forced to evacuate their offices and abandon warehouses full of aid. If this does not stop, a polio vaccine rollout may become impossible.  All parties must comply with their obligations under International Humanitarian Law.

Third, President, settler violence in the West Bank is inexcusable. The violence in the Palestinian village of Jit last week was abhorrent. We call on Israel to take action against these extremists. The UK has sanctioned eight individuals and two entities related to settler violence.

We condemn the continued expansion of settlements in the West Bank – it is a clear violation of international law.

Finally, President, my Foreign Secretary and French Foreign Minister Sejourne visited Israel and the OPTs last week. They conveyed three key messages: that the current ceasefire talks were the only way to avert a full regional crisis; that the humanitarian situation was catastrophic and we needed to see immediate improvements; and that there had to be accountability for the appalling settler violence in the West Bank. I hope that we can all unite around these three messages today.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 August 2024.

The Minister for Development, Anneliese Dodds visited South Sudan where she announced a package of support.

Anneliese Dodds visits a large camp for internally displaced people in Bentiu, witnessing first-hand the desperate situation of those impacted by regional conflict and the climate crisis
the Development Minister pressed senior South Sudanese Government ministers to act urgently to support humanitarian efforts and to make progress towards holding free and fair elections later in the year
she also announced a package of support for the most vulnerable people in South Sudan, Sudan and Chad, including new funding for a programme to tackle endemic gender-based violence
Development Minister Anneliese Dodds has today [22 August] announced vital UK aid for people in South Sudan, who face a humanitarian crisis driven by conflict, drought and flooding.

The minister visited the country’s largest internally displaced persons’ camp in Bentiu, Unity State, where 100,000 people live in extreme poverty surrounded by flood waters that have not receded in years, seeing how UK aid is supporting them.

This followed meetings with senior South Sudanese government officials in Juba, when the minister highlighted the urgent need for humanitarian aid to support those fleeing conflict.

She also pressed ministers on reforms to deliver free and fair elections scheduled for December 2024, emphasising the need for political progress to ensure peace and stability, greater government investment in health and education services and the importance of unrestricted humanitarian access.

In recent years, over a million people have been displaced by unprecedented flooding in South Sudan which has destroyed farms and livestock, and damaged schools and health facilities. The funding announced today will address these key issues, helping people improve farming techniques and build flood controls.

Further UK aid will support women-led organisations in South Sudan to work with communities to prevent gender-based violence, including education on the harm it causes. Counselling and support services will also be made available to women and girls who have experienced gender-based violence.

The Minister of State for Development, Anneliese Dodds said:

The humanitarian crisis in South Sudan has left over 75% of the population in desperate need, with many struggling to feed themselves and their families.

The camp I visited is also on the frontline of the climate crisis, following unprecedented flooding that threatens to overwhelm over 100,000 displaced people who are already facing acute hunger and need. The heartbreaking accounts I heard from those who were forced to flee the civil war in neighbouring Sudan hit home the urgent need to support those fleeing conflict. The levels of gender-based violence women and girls face in South Sudan is appalling, and I want to thank the survivors who shared their harrowing stories with me.

I also heard how UK aid is helping provide a lifeline to those in dire need and provide the building blocks for a better future. As Minister for Development and Women and Equalities I am determined to do more to alleviate their suffering of these people. New funding I have announced will save lives and tackle food shortages and malnutrition. It will also provide essential support to stop gender-based violence and ensure displaced communities can adapt to deal with the impacts of flooding and the climate crisis.

The conflict in Sudan is also causing vulnerable people to flee and seek safety in South Sudan and Chad. To address this, the UK is also providing food parcels for 145,000 people in Sudan and around 60,000 vulnerable refugees in Chad. Displaced people in South Sudan will also receive critical nutrition services for children under 5 and their caregivers.

Working in partnership with the UN and NGO partners, this package will provide 180,000 people with access to food and cash transfers, 15,000 children with treatment for severe malnutrition, and 40,000 displaced people with safe water in South Sudan.

All this support is part of a total funding package of £86 million for this year announced during the visit.

The Director General of the International Organization for Migration, Amy Pope said:

We welcome the much-needed attention the United Kingdom is bringing to the displaced people in South Sudan, where already fragile communities are facing the extreme impact of climate change, alongside a large influx of refugees and returnees escaping the war across the border in Sudan.

Since these multiple crises began, IOM has been responding to the mounting humanitarian needs of displaced populations in the region. While the needs are vast, these additional resources will help us save lives and provide practical solutions by scaling up life-saving transportation assistance, health care, provision of water, sanitation, hygiene, shelter, and specific support for victims and survivors of gender-based violence.

In Ethiopia, on the last day of her trip, which finished yesterday [Wednesday 21 August] the minister met with Foreign Minister Taye Atske-Selassie to discuss UK support for peace and security across Ethiopia and the wider region, as well as economic growth and development priorities. Meeting with African Union Commissioner Bankole Adeoye, she discussed peace and security issues across the continent, including in Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia.

Background
The Minister for Development has announced a £86 million package which includes:

£69 million humanitarian assistance and resilience funding to South Sudan
£1.8 million to prevent gender-based violence and to support survivors in South Sudan
£15 million for those in Sudan, as well as people fleeing the Sudan conflict in Chad and South Sudan
this additional £15 million brings total UK ODA country allocations to Sudan, South Sudan and Chad this financial year to over £220 million
this funding aims to reduce the drivers of famine in South Sudan, protect women and girls and rebuild livelihoods for displaced communities, including people fleeing violence in Sudan
more than 9 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in South Sudan.
the Sudan conflict has left over half of the Sudanese population in desperate need of food assistance. The conflict has created additional strain on South Sudan, with more than 780,000 people arriving since April 2023
meeting with representatives of Sudanese political parties and civil society in Ethiopia, the minister also discussed regional efforts to end the conflict in Sudan

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 21 August 2024.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on peacebuilding.

In 2016, the Sustaining Peace framework underlined the importance of shared responsibility to address conflict.

Seven years later, the Secretary General’s ‘New Agenda for Peace’ called for strengthened international foresight, nationally owned prevention approaches, and an all-of-system approach to tackling conflict.

Faced with the highest number of conflicts since the Second World War, we must work together, now more than ever, to act on these principles. So I will make three points:

First, conflict prevention should be at the forefront of our approach, to reduce the cost of conflict to human lives and development gains. The United Kingdom encourages the use of national prevention approaches to address drivers of conflict and strengthen national infrastructures for peace.

Such approaches should strive to be locally rooted, inclusive, human-rights based, and conflict sensitive. Embedding localised early warning mechanisms also helps identify risks and respond quickly, including on global issues such as climate change.

Second, it is clear underdevelopment can drive conflict, and conflict undermines development. Breaking this cycle is essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

The United Kingdom is committed to development partnerships founded on mutual respect that support countries’ national efforts to reduce poverty and instability. To deliver, the United Nations system needs to work as one. This means mutually reinforcing humanitarian, development and peace and security efforts.

For example, security sector reform and disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration efforts promote stability, strengthen governance and the rule of law, and prevent the recurrence of violence, enabling peace and development to flourish. Ms. Samai’s briefing brought out clearly how Sierra Leone, in so many ways, has been a good model in post-conflict peacebuilding.

Finally, the Summit of the Future offers an opportunity to reinvigorate our efforts. This includes maximising cooperation between the multiple actors – states, regional organisations and the UN – involved in mediation efforts. The promotion of women’s full, equal, safe, and meaningful participation in inclusive peace processes is indispensable.

And it also includes strengthening existing forums such as the Peacebuilding Commission to provide a constructive and UN-system wide space to support peacebuilding efforts. The 2025 Peacebuilding Architecture Review will be the next important step. I thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 21 August 2024.

Africa Minister Lord Collins has announced new funding to tackle the outbreak of mpox cases in the DRC.

• UK support announced for ongoing mpox and cholera outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and to improve access to clean water.
•  Lord Collins made the announcement during a visit to the DRC where he also discussed how the two countries can deepen their collaboration across a range of sectors.
•  He welcomed the recent ceasefire in eastern DRC and commitments to bring an enduring peace to the region.

The UK has announced new funding to work with DRC to bolster the regional African response to outbreaks of mpox and cholera in the country.

During a visit to the Institute National de Recherche Biomedical (National Institute of Biomedical Research) in the DRC, Lord Collins announced £3.1m of UK funding for a new partnership with UNICEF that will benefit over 4.4 million people in affected communities as well as help preventing the further spread of mpox to neighbouring countries.

This funding announcement follows a declaration from the World Health Organisation (WHO) that the upsurge of mpox in the DRC and a growing number of countries in Africa constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).

The Minister for Africa, Lord Collins of Highbury said:

“Working together, with our partners and using the expertise and dedication of Congolese scientists, including those at the world-leading research centre I have visited in DRC, our support will play an important role in ensuring global health security for all.

“By protecting the health and well-being of communities across DRC, and by helping contain these outbreaks, we reduce the risk of diseases spreading further afield. This will ultimately benefit us all.”

The UK remains in regular contact with the WHO and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on developments of the outbreak and is supporting the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa to respond to this health emergency.

The UK Health Security Agency is closely monitoring the situation, working with international partners including the World Health Organisation, European, US and Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and national public health agencies.

As the largest flexible donor to the WHO globally the UK is also helping it to allocate resources where most needed through vaccines and treatments.  As the second biggest donor to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance – providing £1.65bn over the 2020-2025 period – the UK is also working closely with them on ensuring access to mpox vaccines for low and middle income countries.

Professor Christian Ngandu, Public Health Emergency Operations Centre Coordinator at DRC’s National Public Health Institute said:

“The UK’s support to the DRC, in partnership with UNICEF, on the mpox response, will contributed to saving the lives of affected populations by aligning with the DRC’s national mpox preparedness and response plan.”

The announcement came as Lord Collins visited DRC this week to bolster bilateral ties between the UK and DRC and drive forward the bilateral relationship in key areas, including climate and trade and investment.

The Minister announced £6m of new UK funding to provide clean drinking water and sanitation to some 200,000 displaced in partnership with UNICEF and SAFER, helping improve access to clean water for all.

In meetings with key government ministers including the President, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister, Lord Collins welcomed the UK and DRC’s strong partnership and underlined the UK’s commitment to strengthening collaboration in areas such trade, investment, climate and combatting sexual violence in conflict.

Following the successful UK-DRC Trade and Investment Mission in April, the Minister met with UK-linked businesses to discuss how the UK can play a constructive role in supporting improved supply chains of critical minerals in DRC and assist British businesses entering the DRC market.

The Minister also welcomed an announcement by British International Investment this week to invest up to $35 million (£27 million) into the development of Banana Port, a $300-400m project led by Emirati company DP World, that will help transform DRC’s economy.

In addition, he welcomed the UK’s new £90m Congo Basin Forest Action programme which will look to improve economic livelihoods whilst preserving forests and nature.

Lord Collins also discussed the UK and DRC’s long-standing collaboration to combat Conflict Related Sexual Violence, meeting with government ministers and civil society to understand more about this issue.

On the conflict in eastern DRC, Lord Collins welcomed the ceasefire agreement between DRC and Rwanda, recognising the important role played by Angola. He expressed UK support for President Tshisekedi’s commitment to bring an enduring regional peace to the east and underlined the UK’s condemnation of the actions of all illegal armed groups in eastern DRC, including the UN-sanctioned M23.

The UK is delivering a three-year humanitarian programme in the east of DRC, providing life-saving emergency assistance and increasing the resilience of crisis-affected communities affected by the conflict.