| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
15 May 2003 : Column 388W—continued
Ethiopia
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what resources her Department has allocated in response to the appeal made by the Ethiopian Ministry of Health for medical assistance on 16 December 2002. [112737]
Hilary Benn: In December 2002 the Ethiopian Ministry of Health requested $21 million to address drought related health problems. Since then the UK has provided £5.12 million for health and nutrition related humanitarian activities through international NGOs and UN agencies, and contributed a further £18.38 million in emergency food aid.
Mr. Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid has been sent to help those suffering from drought in Ethiopia. [112603]
Hilary Benn: The humanitarian situation in Ethiopia remains a matter of concern.
DFID has made available some £37.6 million for humanitarian support since the beginning of 2002. This has included £17 million for food-aid through the UN World Food Programme for Ethiopia since the end of December. In addition DFID also contributes about 19 per cent. of EC assistance.
We will continue to closely monitor the situation in Ethiopia, and we remain fully committed as always to playing our part in responding rapidly to urgent humanitarian need.
Delivery
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Minister of State for International Development whether the OECD Development Assistance Committee has produced
15 May 2003 : Column 389W
practical guidance on how to (a) reduce the costs for recipients of aid and (b) promote their ownership of it; whether an action plan to implement this has been issued; whether other G7 members have responded to the DAC guidance; and how these statements will be monitored. [113619]
Hilary Benn: The OECD Development Assistance Committee has published a reference document entitled "Harmonising Donor Practices for Effective Aid Delivery". This includes a set of good practice papers intended to change donors' operational procedures in order to reduce the costs of aid to partner countries. The Department for International Development published in February 2003 an "Action plan to promote harmonisation" setting out what DFID will do to improve the effectiveness of its development assistance in line with the good practices set out in the DAC document. An assessment of performance against this Plan will be produced by the second quarter of 2004. To date Canada, France, Japan and the US have produced statements of action on harmonisation, other countries are expected to do so. Progress on implementing the good practice papers will be reviewed at the DAC Senior Level Meeting at the end of 2004.
HIV/AIDS (Africa)
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what level of assistance is being given by the Government to education projects regarding AIDS and HIV in Africa. [110708]
Hilary Benn: HIV/AIDS is one of the most important development challenges facing Africa. DFID is working with development partners to ensure that HIV is mainstreamed throughout education systems, plans and interventions in all African countries where we are providing education support.
We are also making progress by piloting targeted school-based HIV prevention programmes—the Nigeria Extended Life Planning Education Project is one such initiative.
DFID is also supporting innovative "edutainment" programmes in Southern Africa, using multiple media such as radio drama, pamphlets and cartoon books to communicate about HIV prevention.
It should be noted that most of our HIV/AIDS investments across all sectors have an education component to them. As our HIV/AIDS response becomes increasingly multi-sectoral and integrated into other development activities, it is increasingly difficult to quantify the level of investment in the education component per se. Furthermore, DFID is supporting a number of African countries through direct budget support for their own pro-poor policy priorities across the board. This again makes it difficult to quantify the exact level of assistance directed to HIV/AIDS activities. In addition, we provide support through our contributions to multilateral organisations.
That said, HIV/AIDS is recognised by DFID as one of the most significant development challenges facing Africa and it will remain one of the highest priorities for the Africa region as DFID's bilateral programme in Africa increases from £640 million to £1 billion by 2005–06.
15 May 2003 : Column 390W
India
Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the impact on health services in India of the recruitment by NHS hospitals of nurses from India; and if she will make a statement. [112656]
Hilary Benn: The international movement of health personnel has the potential to undermine the human resource base of many developing country health systems. DFID has worked closely with the Department of Health to develop guidelines to ensure that nurses and other personnel are only recruited from countries where there is a surplus. Mutually beneficial arrangements are also encouraged so that aspects of human resource management can be strengthened in return.
Given the size of India there is a scarcity of precise information concerning human resources. We know that in some states there is a surplus of staff. We also know that there have been private companies recruiting nurses in India for the global market and that the Government of India has been interested in a more formal bilateral arrangement to manage this process.
DFID have proposed to the Department of Health and the Government of India that reliable data should be collected concerning the place of origin for personnel that are recruited, as well as information concerning their current practice.
Iraq
Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what steps she is taking to ensure that Iraqi women and Iraqi womens' organisations are included in all stages of preparation for the Iraqi interim authority and for the preparation of the new Iraqi constitution; [111910]
- (2) what discussions she has had with Unifem regarding the involvement of Iraqi women in preparations for the Iraqi interim authority. [111911]
Hilary Benn: DFID—within the influence available to us—will strive to ensure women are included in all aspects of reconstruction in Iraq. We must help Iraqi women to ensure that women's rights are a central part of Iraq's post-war agenda. We are discussing these issues with our partners, including UNIFEM.
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what financial help her Department is proposing to give to Iraq for health and education services with special reference to young people; and if she will make a statement. [112053]
Hilary Benn: DFID has committed £115 million to support work by humanitarian agencies in the current crisis. This includes 32m to the International Red Cross / Red Crescent movement, £9 million to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and £6 million to the World Health Organisation (WHO) which will assist their work to improve health and education facilities for the whole Iraqi population, including vulnerable groups such as children and young people. DFID has also funded NGOs working in the health sector including Merlin, International Medical Corps, Save the Children UK and GOAL.
15 May 2003 : Column 391W
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many schools are open in Iraq; who is responsible for the running of them; and what discussions her Department is having with this authority. [112199]
Hilary Benn: The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), UN Educational Scientific Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the Office for Reconstruction and Humanitarian Affairs (ORHA) are working with the Iraqi Ministry of Education to get schools back up and running throughout Iraq as soon as possible. DFID is not engaged in detailed discussions but is monitoring the situation closely.
The UN Office of the Humanitarian Co-ordinator for Iraq (UNOCHI) reports that schools have resumed operating in the north, and are beginning to resume in central and southern Iraq. UNICEF report that primary schools in Baghdad resumed on May 4, though fuel shortages and security concerns have kept many students and teachers away. Secondary schools in Baghdad began to reopen on May 10 and universities are scheduled to open on May 17.
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the level of disease among the population of (a) southern Iraq and (b) Basra. [112600]
Hilary Benn: The World Health Organisation (WHO) is monitoring the level of disease in southern Iraq, including the reported outbreak of cholera in Basra, It is difficult to establish an accurate picture of disease trends in these areas, as a pre-existing Iraqi disease surveillance system is no longer functioning. The reactivation of this system is a priority for the WHO. DFID is monitoring the situation closely and has stationed limited stocks of medical supplies in the region to fill any emergency requirements that might arise.
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has to adjust levels of overseas aid contributions following the war in Iraq. [112650]
Hilary Benn: We have no plans to adjust the level of overseas aid contributions following the war in Iraq. Funds from existing DFID programmes will not be diverted to fund our assistance to Iraq or redirected from other emergencies such as Southern Africa, Ethiopia/Eritrea, Afghanistan or the West Bank and Gaza.
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether training sessions have been established for food agents in Iraq. [112679]
Hilary Benn: Many existing Iraqi food agents want to resume work and have been reporting to public distribution centres. It is unlikely that these agents will require further training to fulfil their previous responsibilities;
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what efforts are being taken to increase the use of domestically produced food in the rations provided by the Oil for Food Programme; and whether her Department has specific targets for the increased use of domestic produce in Iraq. [112680]
15 May 2003 : Column 392W
Hilary Benn: Discussions are currently under way between the World Food Programme (WFP), the Office for Reconstruction and Humanitarian Affairs (ORHA) and the Iraqi Ministry of Trade to see how locally produced food can be integrated into food distribution activities in Iraq. WFP are already procuring some foodstuffs from the region.
We have not set any specific targets for the increased use of domestic produce in Iraq. DFID has been actively engaged in promoting the development of the agricultural sector and has provided £1.5 million to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to support agricultural and poultry production in conflict-affected areas of southern Iraq.
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessments she has made of the agricultural sector in Iraq. [112681]
Hilary Benn: DFID maintains close contact with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) who are monitoring developments in the agricultural sector in Iraq. Current estimates indicate that the May to June harvest will produce 850,000 to 1,000,000 metric tonnes of wheat. In September to October FAO estimates local production of 100,000 metric tonnes of paddy rice and 80,000 metric tonnes of maize.
DFID has provided £1.5 million to the FAO to support agricultural and poultry production in conflict-affected areas of southern Iraq.
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what resources her Department has allocated for clearing unexploded cluster munitions in Iraq. [112736]
Hilary Benn: DFID has committed £4 million to the UN Mine Action service (UNMAS) and £80,883 to the Mines Advisory Group (MAG). £9 million has been committed to UNICEF, part of which is for mines education.
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what impact the allocation of resources to Iraq is having on decisions by her Department on whether to accept external bid s for project funding in other countries. [112922]
Hilary Benn: Funds from existing DFID programmes will not be diverted to fund our assistance to Iraq or redirected from other emergencies such as Southern Africa, Ethiopia/Eritrea, Afghanistan or the West Bank and Gaza.
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment her Department has made of the increase in cases of gastroenteritis among children in Iraq; and what resources are in place to respond to this. [112923]
Hilary Benn: The World Health Organisation (WHO) is monitoring the level of disease in Iraq, including gastroenteritis. It is difficult to establish an accurate picture of disease trends, as a pre-existing Iraqi disease surveillance system is no longer functioning. The reactivation of this system is a priority for the WHO. UNICEF has delivered oral rehydration salts, including an extra 200,000 sachets which are being pre-positioned in the region to deal with diarrhoeal disease outbreaks.
15 May 2003 : Column 393W
WHO's latest assessment is that there is not an overall shortage of medical supplies in Iraq, though there are shortages of drugs for a few specific conditions. DFID is monitoring the situation closely and has stationed limited stocks of medical supplies in the region to fill any emergency requirements that might arise.
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to (a) support local markets and (b) encourage local purchase of goods in the reconstruction of Iraq. [112924]
Hilary Benn: With DFID support, discussions are currently under way between the World Food Programme (WFP), the Office for Reconstruction and Humanitarian Affairs (ORHA) and the Iraqi Ministry of Trade to see how locally produced food can be integrated into food distribution activities in Iraq.
DFID's longer-term reconstruction priorities will be to reduce Iraqi's dependence on emergency assistance as quickly as possible and create transparent economic, governance and legislative structures which support broad-based economic development.
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of how long food stocks will last in (a) Northern Iraq and (b) Central and Southern Iraq. [112925]
Hilary Benn: World Food Programme (WFP) reports indicate that the amount of food distributed by the Oil for Food Programme (OFF) prior to the start of the conflict varies by region. WFP is currently in discussion with Iraq's Ministry of Trade and OFF Public Distribution System officials to ascertain the levels of food pre-positioned at local level. WFP estimates that existing family food stocks could begin running out soon.
The WFP has pipeline stocks for May and June, although there are shortages of some other commodities. On 24 April 2003, the UN Security Council unanimously agreed to extend provisions of resolution 1,472 from 12 May until 3 June 2003. This enables the UN to process those existing orders under the Oil for Food (OFF) programme which can be dispatched to Iraq by 3 June. Outside of OFF, WFP are also procuring some foodstuffs from the region. They are aiming to build up supplies similar to those previously supplied by the Oil for Food Programme (480,000 tonnes of food per month) as soon as possible. Meanwhile, food continues to be distributed through the OFF Public Distribution System wherever possible.
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what medical assistance is being given to hospitals in Iraq. [113048]
Hilary Benn: The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been active in Iraq throughout the conflict supplying hospitals with water, power and medical supplies. ICRC has also been helping-replace missing equipment. The World Health Organisation (WHO) is co-ordinating the sectoral response. Its latest assessment is that there is not an overall shortage of medical supplies in Iraq, though there are shortages of drugs for a few specific conditions.
15 May 2003 : Column 394W
Since the start of the current crisis DFID has supported the following agencies to provide assistance to the Iraqi health sector.
- International Red Cross/Red Crescent movement: £32 million;
UNICEF: £9 million (£2 million for contingency planning and preparedness measures, £7 million as part of the UN flash appeal);
WHO: £6 million (£1 million for contingency planning and preparedness measures,
£5 million as part of the UN flash appeal); and
NGOs including Merlin, International Medical Corps, Save the Children, UK and GOAL.
Hilary Benn: The World Health Organisation (WHO), UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and others are monitoring the health situation in Iraq closely. WHO's latest assessment is that there is not an overall shortage of medical supplies in Iraq, though there are shortages of drugs for a few specific conditions.
Since the start of the current crisis DFID has supported the following agencies to provide assistance to the Iraqi health sector.
- International Red Cross/Red Crescent movement £32 million,
UNICEF £9 million (£2 million for contingency planning and preparedness measures, £7 million as part of the UN Flash appeal),
WHO £6 million (£1million for contingency planning and preparedness measures,
£5 million as part of the UN Flash appeal)
NGOs including Merlin, International Medical Corps, Save the Children UK and GOAL.
Hilary Benn: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed 18 cases of cholera in Basra. No deaths have yet been reported. A cholera task force has been established in Basra consisting of the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organisation, the UN Children's Fund and NGOs. DFID has cholera kits sufficient to treat 11,000 people on standby in Kuwait in case any are needed and is monitoring the situation closely.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |