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Non-governmental Organisations
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the concerns raised by (a) Mr. Dennis McNamara, Inspector General of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and (b) Dr. Dawit Zawde, President and CEO of Africa Humanitarian Action during his presentation to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees' pre-Governing Executive Committee meeting in Geneva on 2 October; what plans his Department has to address these concerns; and if he will make a statement. [133655]
Hilary Benn: The Government attaches high priority to the concerns raised by Dennis McNamara on the safety and security of humanitarian workers in Iraq and other conflict-affected countries. Prior to the conflict in
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Iraq, DFID provided the Office of the UN Security Coordinator (UNSECOORD) with £100,000 for security support measures and a further £500,000 immediately following conflict also to support UN security. Since the bombing of the UN Headquarters, DFID funds of up to £3 million have been earmarked to UNSECOORD for extra staff, equipment and measures for improving UN security.
DFID maintains regular contact with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in Iraq, at which safety and security issues are carefully considered. Where necessary DFID is supporting NGOs to enhance security measures through our programme support to their work in Iraq.
Dr. Dawit Zawde raised concerns that smaller NGOs are being sidelined in favour of larger ones. DFID does not exclude small agencies. We are focused on achieving results and DFID will work with smaller agencies when this is the most effective way of achieving our objectives.
Sudan
Mr. Dawson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department is spending in 2003–04 on development aid to Sudan, broken down by (a) type of programme, (b) cost of programme and (c) region for which support is being provided. [136224]
Hilary Benn: In 2003–04 DFID plans to spend £20 million on development aid to Sudan.
The following is a list of those Sudanese projects which are now active, or have been active in 2003–04.
We are open to working in all regions of Sudan. The allocation of funds is decided by need, not location. However, where a project in the aforementioned list is engaged in working in a particular locality, this is mentioned.
DFID funded activities in Sudan during financial year 2003–04
- Save the Children UK—Case Resolution and the Eradication of Internal Abduction of Women and Children in Sudan (£500,000).
- UN Mine Action Service—Mine Action throughout Sudan and Mine Clearance in Nuba Mountains (£1,000,000).
- INICEF—Supporting Primary Education in the conflict-affected areas of Sudan. Building for Peace (£2,000,000).
Bishop Mubarek Scholarship Fund for Nuba Women and the Hugh Pilkington Charitable Trust—Scholarship Programmes for Sudanese Students at universities and colleges in Sudan, Kenya and Uganda (£360,000).
- Women's Development Associations—enhancing women's knowledge about their rights to services, and strengthening the linkages between WDA's and local institutions, including the public sector (£113,007).
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Health/Food
International Committee of the Red Cross: 2003 Sudan Appeal (£2,500,000).
UNICEF—Sudan Water and Sanitation Programme (£500,000).
World Food Programme—Sudan Emergency Food Assistance 2003 (£2,500,000).
- UNDP—Support for the joint secretariat of the Government of Sudan and Sudan People's Liberation Movement's Joint Planning Mechanism (JPM) (£88,000).
Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD)—Contribution to Budget for the Sudan Peace Secretariat in Nairobi, to facilitate direct talks between parties involved in the civil war in Sudan (£505,000).
IGAD—Sudan Ceasefire Verification Monitoring Team (£490,000).
Resource People for the Peace talks (advice and support to parties involved in the IGAD peace talks in Sudan) (£100,000).
Demobilisation, Disarmament and Reintegration Adviser to the IGAD Sudan Peace Talks (£63,000).
- UNDP Regional Humanitarian Coordinator, Sudan—Emergency Operations Coordinating and planning (£185,000).
- International Federation of the Red Cross—Emergency Appeal Sudan. Floods in Kassala State (£150,000).
Action Contre la Faim—Emergency Nutritional Programme Red Sea State, Sudan (£202,593).
Action Contre la Faim—Nutrition, Food Security and Surveillance Programme in Bentiu, Rob Kona and Surroundings, Unity State, Sudan (£316,426).
Concern—Aweil West and North, Supplementary and Community Therapeutic Care and Emergency Nutrition (£350,000).
GOAL—To prevent disease and establish PHC in Kassala Town in Kassala Sudan in light of the recent floods in the area (£96,500).
MEDAIR: Emergency Nutrition Project: Lekuangale Pibor County, Sudan (£114,500).
Medecins sans Frontieres—Emergency Health Interventions in the Gederaf, Malkal and Wau states in Sudan: treatment of Kala Azar (£700,000).
Medecins sans Frontieres—Health Assistance for the Resident and Displaced Populations in Jonglei and Upper Nile Provinces, Southern Sudan (£424,000).
Medecins sans Frontieres—Primary Health Care: Akop, Ananatak and Luacjang Payams in Tonj County (£265,439).
Medecins sans Frontieres—Treatment of Human African Trypanosomiasis (Sleeping sickness) in Ibba, Maridi County, Western Equatoria, Sudan (£250,000).
Oxfam—Emergency Food and Nutrition Intervention Tokar, Rural Port Sudan and urban shanty areas in Port Sudan, Red Sea State (£647,220).
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Save the Children UK: Emergency response to conflict related internal displacement in North Dafur (£500,000).
Tear Fund—Emergency Nutrition, Health and Food Security in Aweil East, South and West (£506,458).
World Vision Emergency Nutrition Project: Thiet, Tonj, Pagal and Kuanythi Payams, Tonj County, Bhar el Ghazal Region, Sudan (£513,706).
- IGAD Peace Talks: Joint Military Commission—The Nuba Mountains Cease-Fire Agreement (£2,308,000).
Christian Aid: Legal Stakeholders consultative Workshop, Rumbek, September 2003 (planning an integrated justice sector for south Sudan) (£33,500).
Hilary Benn: DFID intends to increase its programme in Sudan should a peace agreement be reached. The majority of our resources would continue to go towards humanitarian needs, but with a greater emphasis towards longer-term development. We believe that work on the implementation of the peace agreement will require early funding. We would gradually increase the amount put towards the longer-term objectives of improved governance and policies. In addition, we expect to pay our share of the costs of debt relief.
Our intention is to ensure all regions would benefit from peace in Sudan.
Mr. Dawson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he will take to ensure that resources made available by his Department will be allocated (a) transparently and (b) to all marginalised groups and regions of Sudan. [136227]
Hilary Benn: We will provide information on the activities we fund in Sudan to any member of the public who requests it.
With regard to making resources available to all marginalised regions and groups on Sudan, our support for peace building is built on the premise that all regions and all peoples need their voices and grievances to be heard. However, our humanitarian responses are based on need, not geography or ethnicity. Our limited resources mean we cannot fund all activities.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the peace process in Sudan. [136348]
Hilary Benn: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 21 October 2003, Official Report, column 510W.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to ensure the safety of workers distributing aid funded by his Department in Sudan; and if he will make a statement on the recent murders of aid workers in the Darfur region. [136349]
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Hilary Benn: When considering proposals for activities in insecure regions of Sudan, the experience and ability of the requesting body to deal with a difficult environment is considered. If an agency funded by us decides to withdraw, suspending or cancelling a project due to deteriorating conditions, we support their decision.
We were saddened to hear of the deaths of the aid workers in Darfur and our thoughts are with their families.
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