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Somalia

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps have been taken by his Department to promote the transition from conflict in Somalia. [55416]

Hilary Benn: DFID provided considerable financial and diplomatic support to the 2002–04 national reconciliation conference in Kenya, which resulted in agreement on a transitional charter (or constitution) for Somalia, selection of a new transitional parliament, election of President Yusuf, and appointment of a Transitional Federal Government in January 2005. Since then DFID and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff have been closely and continuously involved in international efforts to encourage Somali leaders to resolve their differences, and to make the transitional institutions work effectively for stability and reconstruction of the country. These efforts contributed to the new accord between the President and the Parliamentary Speaker reflected in their 'Aden Declaration' of January 2006, and the decision to proceed with the current session of the Somali Parliament in Baidoa after almost a year of disagreement within the transitional institutions and threatened conflict.

In addition:

We have supported efforts to develop a national security and stabilisation plan (NSSP) for Somalia, as called for in the UN Security Council Presidential Statement of July 2005, including financial support for a joint Somali/international community planning conference for the NSSP due to take place later this month;

We facilitated a meeting of senior Somali police officers to develop plans for the new police force, and we have recently allocated a further $1.1 million to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)-managed Rule of Law and Security Programme to help develop police, prisons, judiciary, legal and paralegal services throughout Somalia;

We are supporting an International Dialogue for Peace Programme in Somalia which is bringing together Somali public and civil society bodies for a range community-level reconciliation and conflict prevention activities.

 
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John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of reports that civilians in southern Somalia are dying from thirst as a result of drought. [55417]

Hilary Benn: The drought affecting parts of southern Somalia is considered to be the most severe for at least 10 years. This has meant that many wells have dried up entirely, and that those remaining are being overused. Many of the people in southern Somalia live by raising livestock and due to the exceptionally dry conditions this year they are having to travel further than usual to find pasture for their animals. We have also heard reports that in some cases this has resulted in people arriving at wells only to find them dry or unusable, but without the resources or ability to reach another well. This is a desperate situation. In addition, water is a commodity that is bought and sold in southern Somalia, so it is possible that people simply do not have the means to pay, although it is widely understood that people who are in desperate personal need are given water even if they are unable to pay.

Deaths from thirst may well have occurred in some extreme cases, although the impact of reduced and poor quality water is much wider than this. There are additional deaths from water borne diseases, and the deadly combination of these diseases and malnutrition, plus the sheer burden in terms of time and money on households to keep themselves supplied with water are also taking a terrible toll.

The UK is one of the leading donors to humanitarian relief efforts in Somalia. We are providing £7 million to the immediate relief effort to help enable the UN, NGOs and regional authorities to deliver urgently needed food aid, nutritional therapy, emergency water supplies and health care to those areas worst affected by drought.
 
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South East Asia Earthquake

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid the Government have allocated in response to the South East Asia earthquake; for what purposes; and what further aid (a) has been requested and (b) is planned. [53606]

Mr. Thomas: DFID has allocated £58 million to meet relief needs. The following table shows the breakdown of assistance to date.

At the 19 November Donors' Conference, DFID pledged a grant of some £70 million to assist Pakistan with reconstruction and rehabilitation following the 8 October earthquake.

The UK is planning a programming mission likely to take place during March where views of the Government of Pakistan and donors will be sought as to how best our funds can be directed to support the reconstruction effort.

The first £5 million tranche of the reconstruction and rehabilitation support for reconstruction is available immediately. In consultation with international programme partners in Pakistan and the Governments of Pakistan we propose to make the following allocations for immediate reconstruction purposes:

reconstructing critical bridges in the affected area, in order to support the whole reconstruction effort through rehabilitated road communications;

training for teachers and administrators, in order to underpin support for rehabilitation of the education sector;

TB prevention services and mental health support services in the earthquake affected areas.

Our programming mission will now look at how to allocate the remaining £65 million.

Annex 1—DFID support to Pakistan earthquake

Partner	Activity	Amount (£)
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
Oxfam	3,500 winterised family tents, 19,700 collapsible 10-litre jerry cans, 7,530 wool blankets, 40,000 sleeping mats, 20,000 tarpaulins	998,448 (in-kind)
Oxfam	Wat/san	560,000
Islamic Relief	10,000 tarpaulins, 20,000 blankets, 1,000 winterised family tents	258,000 (in-kind)
Christian Aid/ Church World Services	1,000 winterised tents in-kind; Programme for shelter, food and first aid. 2,000 tarps from Lahore (£10,000)	310,000 (including 115,000 in-kind)
Christian Aid	Wat/san in NWFP	347,322
Save the Children UK	Provision of shelter, blankets, clothing, primary health care, psycho social support to children	300,000
Save the Children UK	Shelter	600,000
Save the Children UK	Livelihoods: cash for vulnerable families and village shopkeepers	887,681
Save the Children India	Shelter for India administered Kashmir	500,000
Action Aid	Food packages, health centres, psycho social support, and shelter; 1,250 tarps from Lahore (£6,100)	306,100
RSPN	Tents, food, sanitation, water; 2,750 tarps from Lahore (£13,500)	313,500
RSPN	Shelter, livelihoods and advocacy	205,083
Mercy Corps	Health units, emergency obstetrics and outreach	212,000
International Health Partners	Provision of various emergency medicines	50,000
Norwegian Refugee Council	Stoves and fuel	300,000
Norwegian Refugee Council	Shelter	700,000
Norwegian Refugee Council	Camp Management	850,000
CAFOD	Wat/san and shelter, and cash for work; 2,000 tarps from Lahore (£10,000)	310,000
IMC	Mobile health clinics, primary health care training, distribution of hygiene kits	289,000
GOAL	2,000 tarps from Lahore	10,000
ACTED	Shelter, toolkits and latrines	300,000
ACTED	Water and sanitation	637,356
Action Against Hunger	Wat/san	337,123
Action Against Hunger	Wat/San	258,228
Internews	Communication, support to journalist training, radio distribution	300,000
Tearfund	Shelter	498,964
Merlin	To set up two field trauma units in the Panj kot valley. Support to four primary health centres and health outreach via mobile units	800,000
Australian Aid International	Health	199,424
Handicap International	Health assistance and rehabilitation to disabled population	300,000
HAPI	Support to agency accountability mechanisms	45,402
IRC	Health assistance	300,000
Solidarity	Wat/san	314,055
World Vision	Shelter	499,244
Sub-Total		13,096,930
UN Agencies
Flash Appeal: $549 million requested for 6 months
WHO	Shipment of health and trauma kits to Pakistan (covering 40,000 people for three months) and programme surveillance and response teams. one staff secondment three months.	670,000
WHO	Disease Early Warning System (DEWS) and Health Cluster Coordination	500,000
OCHA	HIC module + vehicle; other in-kind support (vehicles, staff secondments).	350,000 (in kind)
OCHA	Coordination and additional support to the HIC	750,000
OCHA	Support to Security Communications via ICT	286,862
UNHAS	Support for helicopters (including one refueler)	2,187,500
UNHAS	Helicopter support	1,400,000
UNHAS	Direct contracting of 4 Mil-8 medium lift helicopters to the UNHAS operation four months	4,100,000
UNHAS	2 staff secondments	87,557
UNJLC	Staff secondments	50,000
UNJLC	Vehicle including shipping	70,000
WFP	Logistics support	800,000
WFP	EMOP food support	650,000
WFP	EMOP food support via International Humanitarian Partnership	75,758
UNDSS	Four vehicles to support UNDSS and relief worker safety and security	150, 000 (in kind)
IOM	Shelter packages including tents, stoves and cooking equipment, including two staff secondments.	830,000
IOM	Shelter materials and personnel support	1,000,000
IOM	3,500 winterised tents	410,000
Shelter Cluster	Shelter materials	1,062,731
UNICEF	Water and sanitation, staff secondment	1,080,000
UNICEF	Water and Sanitation	870,000
UNHCR	Camp management, staff secondments	1,250,000
UNHCR	Airlift for 27, 000 stoves	126,493
UNFPA	300,000 communal washing facilities for women and children in spontaneous and planned camps	75,168
FAO	Restoration of food security and protection of rural livelihoods among earthquake affected farmers, women and other vulnerable groups.	650,000
Sub total allocated		19,482,069
Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
ICRC	Helicopters, winter clothing, tents and food in Pakistan administered Kashmir; one refueller.	2,577,500
ICRC	Pakistan Emergency Response Appeal January to March 2006	2,000,000
IFRC	Relief supplies for NWFP Pakistan	2,000,000
Sub-Total		6,577,500
MOD Operations
MOD	DFID marginal costs	Up to 3,000,000 pledged
MOD	Three Chinooks deployed for 28 days until 25 November	Not yet invoiced
MOD	C130 airlift of rations and water from Kabul	34,000
MOD	40 tonnes of vegetarian rations and transport from UK to NATO Air Bridge	145,000
MOD	Airlift of two PUMA helicopters from Spain for use by ICRC	137,500
Sub total allocated		(316,500)
Sub total pledged		3,000,000
DEC Airlift
DEC	Merlin (23 flights)	228,751
DEC	British Red Cross (21 flights)	1,730,437
DEC	Save the Children (10 flights)	503,162
DEC	Oxfam (7 flights)	353,875
DEC	Islamic Relief (4 flights)	420;000
DEC	World Vision (5 flights)	218,766
DEC	Christian Aid (3 flights)	346,080
DEC	Pakistan High Commission [1 flight)	126,000
DEC	WFP	690
DEC	Staff and miscellaneous costs	78,676
Sub total allocated		4,006,437
NATO Support
NATO	Charter heavy lift aircraft to transport priority relief items from UN warehouses in Europe and the Middle East to Pakistan	1,083,583
NATO	59 Independent Commando Squadron, Royal Engineers to work under NATO command for shelter construction in high areas.	Up to 2,500,000 pledged
NATO	Airlift of Rubbhalls for food storage—Oslo to Islamabad	Up to 80,000
ECHO
ECHO	DFID contribution towards ECHO funding	1,600,000
DFID Pakistan
Various organizations	To be programmed to support local humanitarian efforts	1,000,000 pledged
Allocated so far: (£1 million pledged reflected in total below)
Birdlife International	Immediate relief activities	17,000
RWSSP	Wat/san	385,587
RSPN	Shelter, livelihoods and advocacy	200,000
DFID Direct Costs
Direct costs	Search and rescue teams; DFID assessment teams, operating costs	900,000
Total		53,326,519

 
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