Speeches

Lord Hylton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Hylton on 2016-06-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they are having with the government of Iraq and the regional government of Kurdistan about the protection needs of people likely to be displaced by current, and proposed, offensives against Daesh, in particular women and children.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The UK is in regular contact with the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional government, and regularly raises with them the protection needs of internally displaced persons arising from the conflict – including the protection needs of girls and women. We continue to urge the Government of Iraq to fulfil its commitments to develop and implement plans to stabilise areas which have been liberated from Daesh by providing the governance, services and security necessary to enable the safe return of people to their homes.

The UK has committed £79.5 million of humanitarian assistance to Iraq since summer 2014. This includes cash assistance for vulnerable displaced Iraqis, allowing them to prioritise what they need most. Through the UN Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund, we fund a number of projects designed to meet the most urgent needs of displaced Iraqis including emergency healthcare, water and sanitation, and protection services for girls and women. Our partners consider gender related differences in needs when developing all Department for International Development funded projects.