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10 Jun 2010 : Column 243W—continued
Sudan: Overseas Aid
Ms Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what humanitarian aid his Department is providing to displaced people in Darfur. [R] [1021]
Mr O'Brien: The UK provides assistance to conflict-affected people in Darfur through a variety of mechanisms, including support for the African Union/United Nations peacekeeping mission (UNAMID) and other peacebuilding and security programmes.
Humanitarian programmes are targeted at both displaced and resident populations. We are the largest donor to the UN's Common Humanitarian Fund, with 30% of this fund spent on humanitarian assistance in Darfur.
These contributions, along with our bilateral programme, have helped 87,000 IDPs return home in 2008, train and employ 800 teachers, open 64 health care facilities, and install 246 boreholes and 785 latrines.
We also deliver humanitarian aid through NGOs such as Mediar, Tearfund, GOAL and RedR, which are providing health services for 540,000 people, as well as nutrition, water and sanitation programmes in Darfur and elsewhere. We contribute to the ICRC's work in Sudan which this year will spend approximately 70% on its humanitarian response in Darfur. Due to poor rains and increasing conflict we recently made an exceptional allocation to the UN World Food Programme's emergency operations which will provide food assistance for some 3 million people across Sudan, including Darfur.
We are currently reviewing all our aid, including aid channelled through multilateral agencies to ensure it is as effective as possible and brings real benefit in terms of building peace and delivering assistance to those affected by conflict.
Sudan: Peace Negotiations
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to support the peace process in Sudan. [1231]
Mr O'Brien: The Department for international Development (DFID) supports the two major peace processes in Sudan.
DFID has provided support for a number of key milestones in the 2005 North-South Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), including civic education, technical preparation, security and conflict management for the 2010 nationwide elections. DFID is also contributing to a programme aimed at the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Resettlement (DDR) of 65,000 male and female troops from both North and South Sudan.
During the ongoing United Nations/African Union process, we are supporting the Darfur-Darfur Dialogue and Consultation (DDDC), which brings the views of Darfuri civil society to the political peace process and the Darfur Community Peace and Stability Fund which provides small grants to community groups for reconciliation and community development programmes.
We are currently reviewing all our aid, including aid channelled through multilateral agencies to ensure it is as effective as possible and brings real benefit in terms of building peace and delivering assistance to those affected by conflict.
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