Tag: The Lord Bishop of Southwark

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Southwark on 2016-02-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the conditions facing Iraqi refugees in Jordan.

Baroness Verma

The situation for many refugees in Jordan is challenging, irrespective of nationality. Services are provided by the international community and the Government of Jordan based on a system of prioritisation of the most vulnerable and Iraqi refugees are included in this system. Like all refugees, Iraqis are registered by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and access assistance from UN agencies, international NGOs and national NGOs. Partners assess vulnerability in Jordan at individual, community and household levels. These vulnerability assessments take into account positive coping strategies and support networks, which are understood to be better established among the Iraqi community, including through religious institutions such as mosques and churches.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Southwark on 2016-02-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to include vulnerable Iraqi refugees in Jordan who are registered with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in their resettlement plans.

Lord Bates

The UK operates three resettlement routes, Gateway, Mandate and the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement (VPR) Scheme, working closely with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on each.

There are no current plans to resettle Iraqis registered with UNHCR and currently seeking refuge in Jordan under any of our resettlement schemes. However, we plan to continue to resettle Iraqi refugees currently in Syria under the Gateway programme. The case load for the Gateway programme is reviewed annually in consultation with UNHCR.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Southwark on 2016-02-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of the Department for International Development’s humanitarian aid package for Jordan is intended to meet the needs of Iraqi refugees in Jordan.

Baroness Verma

The UK’s humanitarian aid package for Jordan is not earmarked to a particular group of refugees, in line with international humanitarian principles of impartiality. Instead, it targets those most vulnerable and in urgent need, irrespective of nationality. In particular, DFID provides direct support to UNHCR’s protection mandate which serves all registered refugees and asylum seekers in Jordan, including the 53,756 registered Iraqis. DFID’s partners in Jordan subscribe to the same principles and operate an open door policy, providing health, protection services and basic needs support to all refugees, whether they be Syrian, Iraqi, Yemeni or from elsewhere.

DFID also support projects aimed at improving overall public services used by all people living in Jordan, such as water supply, sanitation services and solid waste management. As well as the fact that Iraqi refugees have been in Jordan longer and are therefore better established, it is important to note that the number being met with humanitarian services is lower due to the fact that there are nearly 12 registered Syrian refugees to every one registered Iraqi refugee.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Southwark on 2016-02-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel following its decision to start building the annexation wall in the Cremisan Valley, and in particular regarding building works on the privately owned land of Beir Onah in Beit Jala.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv have raised the issue of the separation barrier though Cremisan Valley with the Israeli authorities repeatedly, most recently on 1 September 2015.

Our Deputy Consul General in Jerusalem visited the Al Walajah and Khirbet Najjar areas of Beit Jala on 9 February 2016, where he was given an update on the impact of the barrier on residents.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Southwark on 2016-02-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the decision by the High Court of Israel on 1 February to dismiss the latest petitions submitted by the Salesian Sisters Convent against the building of the annexation wall in the Cremisan Valley.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The UK’s position on the Separation Barrier is clear: where it has been constructed beyond the 1967 border, such as in the case of the Cremisan Valley, it is illegal under international law.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Southwark on 2016-02-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the presence of Daesh in Gaza and the West Bank.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The Government’s assessment is that there are groups and individuals in the West Bank and (primarily) in Gaza who sympathise with or self-identify as Daesh but are not formally affiliated with them. We remain concerned about a possible Daesh presence and continue to monitor the situation closely.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Southwark on 2016-03-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of any shortfall in international humanitarian funding in Iraq; and what steps they are taking to address that.

Baroness Verma

The UN has launched an appeal for $861 million to meet urgent humanitarian needs in Iraq in 2016. According to the UN, as of 29 March 2016, the appeal is 15% funded.

Since June 2014, the UK has committed £79.5 million in humanitarian assistance to the crisis in Iraq. The UK is the largest donor to the Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund, which allocates funding to the most urgent gaps in the humanitarian response in Iraq. DFID is assessing future support to Iraq through the Bilateral Aid Review process.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Southwark on 2016-03-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of the Department for International Development’s humanitarian effort in Iraq has been transferred to partners and agencies working in Iraq.

Baroness Verma

Since June 2014, the UK has committed £79.5 million in humanitarian assistance to the crisis in Iraq. With the exception of emergency humanitarian supplies delivered by the UK to Iraq in summer 2014, all of this funding is delivered through UN agencies and NGO partners working in Iraq – including through those who have access to some of the most challenging areas. The Department for International Development does not provide any direct financial support to the Government of Iraq or Kurdistan Regional Government.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Southwark on 2016-03-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support efforts to demine areas liberated from Daesh in Iraq.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The Government of Iraq is committed to stabilising areas which have been liberated from Daesh. This includes providing security, including through demining efforts, to enable civilians to return. The UK, along with our partners in the Global Coalition, is supporting the Government of Iraq to do this. This includes providing £2.5 million to the UN Development Programme’s stabilisation fund for Iraq, and £225,000 to the UN Mine Action Service to establish a unit to assess the problem and coordinate donor support.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of Southwark on 2016-03-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of internally displaced persons (1) in Iraq, (2) in Iraq who have returned to their homes, and (3) in Iraq who have left Iraq.

Baroness Verma

As of 28 March, the International Organisation for Migration estimates that there are just over 3.4 million Iraqis who have been displaced by fighting since January 2014. 547,600 individuals are reported to have returned to their homes. We do not hold information on the number of Internally Displaced Persons who have left Iraq because those people leaving Iraq include both IDPs and economic migrants.