The Marquess of Lothian – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Marquess of Lothian on 2016-06-27.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports that the Israeli water supplier, Mekorot, reduced water supply to the West Bank during Ramadan.

Baroness Verma

The UK regularly raises the issue of water in the OPTs with the Israeli authorities, most recently on 27 June. We continue to stress the urgent need for Israel to take immediate and practical measures to improve the current situation and ensure fair distribution of water in the West Bank and Gaza. We encourage both parties to find a swift resolution to this issue and to reconvene the Joint Water Committee to facilitate approval of projects that will improve Palestinian access to water. We see continuity of supply to the West Bank as essential for both the basic needs of Palestinians and for stability and security more widely.