HL Deb 22 April 1991 vol 528 cc23-32

3.55 p.m.

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (The Earl of Caithness)

My Lords, with the leave of the House, I shall now repeat a Statement made in another place by my right honourable friend the Minister for Overseas Development, Mrs. Chalker, on her recent visit to Turkey and Iran to assess the needs of Iraqi refugees. The Statement is as follows:

"With permission, Mr. Speaker, I wish to make a Statement following my visit to Turkey and Iran to assess the needs of Iraqi refugees and what more Britain intends to do further to relieve their tragic suffering.

"Last Wednesday I reported to the Foreign Affairs Committee on the first days of immediate help we have provided to Iraqi refugees in both countries. On Thursday I left for Turkey and Iran with ODA and Diplomatic Wing officials and representatives of the British Red Cross, Save the Children Fund and Oxfam, all experts in the provision of humanitarian relief. Our objective was to assess the current situation of refugees in the Turkey-Iraq and Iran-Iraq border areas, to stimulate improved communication and coordination of all aid donors on the ground and to plan our further relief to the refugees with the governments and aid agencies of all involved.

"The generosity of Her Majesty in allowing us to use an aircraft and crew of the Queen's Flight and the helpful attitude of both the Turkish and Iranian Governments and the Iranian Air Force enabled my team and me to see a number of camps and have detailed discussions with Ministers, officials and aid personnel in both countries. I was also able to meet senior American and German military personnel to gain a clearer picture of both their immediate and future aid plans.

"The plight of the Iraqi refugees is truly harrowing. Assistance is further advanced for those on the Turkish border than for those in Iran. The Turkish system has developed considerably over the past week but needs continuing supplies. I shall return to Turkey's work for the refugees in a moment; but first Iran, where the situation is changing hour by hour.

"For those in Iran, the rate of delivery of supplies from all sources must be at least doubled and donors must co-ordinate through the Iranian Red Crescent and with the Government of Iran, as well as with the UN and international aid agencies. There are now more than 1.2 million Iraqi refugees in Iran, with many thousands more over the border seeking entry through the three crossing points.

"The Iranian authorities told me that they are allowing several thousand in a day as they establish more camps and places in them and provided the refugees will give up their arms at the border. Around a million people, mainly Kurds but also Turkomans, Assyrians and Arabs, have come to the northern border provinces of West Azerbaijan and Bakhtaran, another 200,000 plus have moved on to East Azerbaijan and there are more than 50,000 Shi'ites in Khuzestan in southern Iran across the border from Basra.

"Within the northern provinces, the response of the Iranian Red Crescent organisation and its provincial governors is growing daily with help from donors through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Iranian military. Britain was one of the first to supply directly to Orumieh in West Azerbaijan, 160 tonnes so far having been delivered plus 3 million water purifying tablets. The Iranian Red Crescent works through the provincial governors to secure supplies, distribute them and maintain order in the camps. Fifty-five camps have been established in Azerbaijan and Bakhtaran. The Iranian Red Crescent and local officials discussed their difficulties openly and welcomed our suggestions to help improve the organisation of supplies and health care.

"Our visit to two of the 22 camps near Orumieh, in the foothills of the mountains north of Piranshahr, confirmed that existing facilities are overwhelmed by numbers entering. The queues to cross the border at Tamarcheen are still three to four kilometres long and there are little or no facilities along the road at all. On the road and in many camps conditions of shelter, health, food and water are horrendous and urgently need improve-me at. The health of women and children is particularly at risk because of unclean water, no sanitation, limited health care and irregular food distribution. In the mosque at one camp, the first point of arrival, whole families lie huddled together in row upon row with no facilities at all. They move on into tents, where they have little more space but where ground dampness makes the problem of extreme cold at night much worse. The Iranian authorities are setting up new camps continuously, but need more assistance to do so. The ICRC is helping, but the Iranian Red Crescent needs our help in West Azerbaijan.

"After discussion with Iranian Government officials, the Iranian Red Crescent, our own British Red Cross, the Tehran representative of the Save the Children Fund and local officials in Orumieh, I have set up under British Red Cross supervision the supply of tents, blankets and ground sheets through Orumieh to the West Azerbaijan camps. This supply operation starts tomorrow morning and will access the area by air either to Yusekova in Turkey or to Orumieh, with onward ground transport to the Iranian camps. To achieve this, we shall double the number of relief flights to Iran to four flights a week. The ground transport will be organised by the Red Cross and the Iranian Red Crescent with a resident British Red Cross official working with the British Embassy in Tehran to ensure co-ordination of supplies and personnel in this massive effort. We were advised by the Iranian Red Crescent that it needs many more trucks, and this is being examined urgently. We shall purchase food locally wherever possible, as we are already doing in Turkey through the local Red Crescent.

"To meet the health needs, I have agreed with the British Red Cross to co-ordinate with the Save the Children Fund to set up camp health centres in West Azerbaijan, where we know there is a very great need. We will start immediately with one centre for up to 150,000 refugees with satellite unit. This will be managed by the SCF and will run initially for a period of three months. I expect to extend this and to establish further centres through the British Red Cross.

"As a result of our visit I can also announce today an initial contribution of £2 million from the £20 million pledged by my right honourable friend the Prime Minister for the ICRC's excellent programme to help refugees in Iran. In addition to the £12 million we have already committed to the European Community for its assistance to NGOs, and the European Community's contributions to the ICRC and UN appeals, I will be considering further contributions to the UN appeals. We need to know the UN agencies' plans in order to judge how best we can help. I hope this will be soon. There will be further help to British NGOs as plans firm up and are agreed. I shall be seeing the UN Secretary General tomorrow and my right honourable friend the Member for Grantham will be meeting Prince Sadruddin Khan in Geneva.

"In Turkey we are continuing the airlift of relief supplies from this country and the airdrops to the refugees by RAF Hercules aircraft and Chinook helicopters. Meanwhile, urgent action is being taken to establish protected refugee camps in northern Iraq near Zakhu and to persuade the refugees to come down from the mountains as quickly as possible. The United Nations involvement in taking over responsibility for these camps is crucial, as is our overall objective of getting the refugees to return to their homes in peace and security.

"As I said earlier, the plan is unfolding hour by hour. There are regular meetings with the British Red Cross and other agencies, with colleagues in government and links with our European partners, the US military and the international agencies. I am most grateful to Michael Whitlam of the British Red Cross and all the agencies and to our troops working in Turkey for the excellent work they are doing.

"The message I want to leave with the House this afternoon is that, following our visit, we are stepping up our relief operations to respond to the urgent needs in Iran through our own NGOs and the international agencies. We shall continue our operations on the Turkish border as we establish the protected refugee centres under Operation Haven inside Iraq."

My Lords, that concludes the Statement.

4.5 p.m.

Baroness Ewart-Biggs

My Lords, we are grateful to the Minister for repeating the Statement which was made in another place. We on these Benches, as indeed must many people in this country, very much welcome news about what is going on in that tragic part of the world. The Statement was a lengthy one and we only had the opportunity to look at it for a few moments beforehand. Therefore, perhaps I may ask the Minister a few questions.

I should say first that we are heartened by the fact that further information has been given about what is occurring on the Iraq-Iran border. I say that because, until the visit of the Minister for Overseas Development to the area, very little was known about what was happening to the large number of refugees arriving at the border. Although we were congratulating the Iranians upon their efforts in trying to deal with those refugees, the support coming from the international community seemed to be insufficient.

I note that the Minister said that the assistance to Iran must be doubled. However, perhaps he can give us some idea about the source of this extra assistance. The noble Earl gave many statistics as regards the number of refugees. But, as we all know, once people leave their homes and villages it is very difficult to monitor their movements and their numbers. Therefore, perhaps he can tell us what international agency is responsible for monitoring the actual numbers involved and for locating these refugees. If such information is not known, it will be most difficult to help them.

We welcome the fact that Her Majesty's Government are making an initial contribution of £2 million and they are considering making further contributions to the UN appeals. I hope that the Minister will be able to tell us as soon as possible when those further contributions will be made to the United Nations to assist in the efforts which it is making.

As regards the refugee camps which are being set up on the Iran-Iraq border, does the Minister know—although I suppose it may be impossible to tell—what is their total capacity? According to his description, it would seem that there are still a huge number of refugees moving down from the mountains towards the camps. Can he say how many people those camps will be able to accommodate?

From the point of view of the safe havens on the Turkish-Iraqi border, clearly there must be a very great health risk from unclean water. If there is unclean water, food provision and so on is of little use. Can the Minister tell us who is in charge of providing clean water? I know that water purifying tablets have been sent to the area, but I understand that there is no way of setting up a supply of clean water. Can the noble Earl tell us what organisation is responsible for the provision of clean water to the camps? Further, can he tell us what is the total capacity of those camps and how many refugees are in them at present?

I am aware of the aid which has been pledged by Her Majesty's Government, but can the noble Earl tell us what quantity of aid has been pledged by the EC? That figure was not mentioned in the Statement. Further, from the point of view of supplies such as blankets, food and medical supplies which have been sent to the refugees in the camps, is there any way of knowing how much of this material has actually been received? We know how much is being sent, but the amount which is actually getting through to the refugees is another matter.

In conclusion, can the noble Earl tell us whether allied representatives have had the opportunity to discuss with their Iraqi counterparts the movement of Iraqi security police into the haven town of Zakhu? That is something about which we have read in our newspapers. Also, if he can, will the Minister say something about the long-term safety and security of the Iraqi refugees in southern Iraq on the Kuwaiti border?

We are grateful for the information that the Minister has given. The heartrending situation occurring in that part of the world has touched the hearts of everyone in this country, and so the greater the effort and contribution that Her Majesty's Government can make towards alleviating the plight of those refugees the more welcome that will be to the people of this country.

Lord Bonham-Carter

My Lords, I too thank the Minister for repeating the Statement made in another place by his right honourable friend the Minister for Overseas Development. We express our thanks to the Red Crescent, the Red Cross and the other voluntary agencies whose work in delivering the supplies to the refugees is crucial. They deserve our support as well as our thanks. Like the noble Baroness, I note that the supplies required are double those already being delivered. That gives us some indication of the enormous problem facing all those trying to relieve the situation of the refugees in Iran, Iraq and elsewhere.

There are three short-term issues about which I should like further information from the Minister. First, one of the most worrying aspects of his right honourable friend's report was the description of the queues at the border three to four miles long, where no supplies, facilities or help are available. I should like to know what steps are being taken, first, to reduce the length of those queues, and, secondly, to ameliorate the conditions of those queueing. We had no hesitation in entering Iraqi territory on the Turkish border, and I should have thought that we should consider entering Iraqi territory on the Iranian border to relieve the situation of those people queueing in harsh conditions. I should also like to know what success we are having in getting people on the Turkish border down from the mountains, which is the whole purpose of the operation. We continue to say that that is what we are trying to do, and I am interested to know whether we are having any success.

Thirdly, I should like to know what steps are being taken to help the Shi'ites in the south, whose situation seems in some ways to be the most tragic of all. We have an obligation towards them. I have been shocked by the reports that the Kuwaitis and the Saudis are not participating in helping those people. Are those reports true? If so, what steps are Her Majesty's Government and the other members of the coalition taking to bring pressure to bear on those two countries for whom the whole operation was initiated in the first instance?

There are three longer-term matters upon which we should like some information. When will the United Nations take responsibility for the operation? The sooner responsibility for organising the whole operation is undertaken by the United Nations the better. Secondly, I hope that we have taken account of the fact that it is essential that in any peace treaty with Iraq and in any settlement of the Middle East problems, the rights of minorities in all countries are safeguarded. Unless that is done, the war that we have fought will be a war only half won.

Finally, what steps have Her Majesty's Government in mind for the longer-term future? To have more than 1 million refugees from Iraq settle in Iran without any idea of what will happen to them is to reproduce once more the tragedy of the Palestinians. We know that that is a precedent we do not wish to follow.

The Earl of Caithness

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Baroness and the noble Lord for the welcome they gave to the Statement. I shall also ensure that the congratulations given to the Red Cross and the Red Crescent are passed on. They are obviously doing sterling work in difficult circumstances.

The noble Baroness asked about numbers. In a situation as complicated, wide-ranging and rapidly changing as this, it is difficult to be precise about numbers—the numbers we can get into the camps and the numbers of refugees who will go down to them. The sooner we can encourage people to return to their own homes in security, the less need for camps there will be. We see the camps as being temporary. To the best of our ability, we and our allies will ensure that there is enough space in the camps to accommodate the refugees. However, that is a short-term solution only. The noble Lord is right; the last thing we want is to have large numbers of refugees settled in an adjacent country. We have seen enough of that in the past.

I return to what my right honourable friend the Prime Minister said initially: this is a temporary operation while we encourage those who have left their homes to return in peace and security in the knowledge that they can live there quietly in accordance with normal laws. That is the long-term step about which the noble Lord asked.

With regard to our aid contributions, over 440 tonnes of equipment have so far been dispatched to Turkey; over 200 tonnes has been dropped by C.130s into Turkey and northern Iraq; aircraft are flying daily to Turkey with further supplies; and nine British helicopters have joined the airlift. There are at present 20 German helicopters on the Iran-Iraq border. There are also a large number of American troops and a large amount of equipment there. A massive relief effort is being made on the Iraq-Turkey and Iraq-Iran borders.

The noble Baroness rightly asked about the water supply. That is of course a key item. My right honourable friend the Minister of State took out water purification tablets to the Iranian side of the border. The noble Baroness asked about what is happening in northern Iraq. That is basically where the troops are at present. The troops are responsible for trying to clean up the water supply as quickly as possible and for encouraging the Kurds to leave the hilltops and move down to the warmer weather where it is easier to get supplies and clean water to them.

The noble Lord asked about the Shi'ites in the south. I repeat that we are concerned about the humanitarian needs of all the Iraqis. The UNHCR has made it clear that it will accept responsibility for the Iraqi refugees sheltering in areas at present occupied by the coalition forces. I confirm that we are pressing Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to take humanitarian measures in respect of this one-off difficult situation. Finally, the noble Baroness asked what the European Community is doing. It has pledged 150 mecus of aid.

4.18 p.m.

Lord Hylton

My Lords, can the Minister give us any information about the negotiations which have been reported to be taking place in Baghdad between the Kurdish leaders and the Iraqi government—they must be extremely important—with a view to getting people back into their houses? Finally, does he accept that in May and June there will be a need for troops who are acclimatised to the Iraqi summer?

The Earl of Caithness

My Lords, the noble Lord raises two important points. First, he is right to say that the negotiations going on between the Americans and the Iraqis in the north and with the Kurds in Baghdad are extremely relevant to the situation. Unfortunately, I cannot give him an update on either of the discussions at the moment.

On the second point, the noble Lord again raises the difficulty that at the moment there is extremely severe weather; sometimes it is not even possible for the Chinooks to fly in, let alone the Hercules aircraft. Yet in a few short months the weather will be extremely hot, creating difficulty. I assure the noble Lord that we have the best possible troops available to look after people under those conditions.

Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos

My Lords, there are no words adequate to describe the appalling tragedy which is unfolding in Iraq on its borders with Turkey, Iran and, in the south, Kuwait. We are grateful to the Government for the efforts that they have made, although we all feel that not only our Government but all governments in the coalition and in the world should have foreseen the possibility of this tragedy some weeks earlier than they did. Are the Government satisfied that the immense efforts called for in order to begin to deal with the tragedy are properly co-ordinated? I ask that because this morning I received a report from the United Nations which referred to the appeal which that organisation made for 400 million dollars on 9th April, out of which 238.5 million dollars was for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. That was to cover the most urgent needs of the estimated 1.5 million refugees in Iran and Turkey over a period of only three months.

The United Nations report states: So far, about 26 million dollars has been pledged"— out of the total which is required. On 11 April the Executive Delegate of the Secretary-General"— that is Sadruddin Aga Khan— … appealed for 423 million dollars to cover new financial requirements for the emergency programme for refugees in Iran and Turkey". The report mentions the governments of Greece, Japan, Korea and Romania having announced contributions for humanitarian relief for the displaced Iraqi population. There is no reference to the United Kingdom, the United States or France. It is difficult to understand what co-ordination is taking place. I welcome what the noble Earl said about the meeting that he and his right honourable friend are to have tomorrow. Given the immensity of the problem, is he able to tell the House at this stage that the co-ordination between responsible governments is adequate?

The Earl of Caithness

My Lords, in such a case it is extremely difficult to get matters right at day one. As the situation has unfolded the numbers have increased regularly; it has changed hour by hour. Therefore, with hindsight, the co-ordination was not as good as we would have liked. However, considering what has happened, the way in which it has happened and the conditions, the co-ordination has been remarkable. The co-ordination of the NGOs, the very helpful attitude of the Iranian Government recently towards my right honourable friend the Minister of State, Mrs. Chalker, and the help that the Turkish Government have given means that everything is beginning to come together. The past few days have seen much closer co-ordination.

The noble Lord is absolutely right that, in order to make this effective, we need to know what the UN plans to do. That is the key, because we would like the UN to take over the operation. As the House knows, I have already reported that Mr. Suy, the UN representative and his team were in Iraq. He is now in Brussels, having travelled there via Paris where he briefed the UN Secretary General. The Sadruddin Aga Khan has appointed an executive delegate to the UN Inter-Agency Humanitarian Programme for Iraq, Kuwait and the border areas. He will co-ordinate the relief effort. It is not I but my honourable friend, Mr. Hogg, the Member of Parliament for Grantham who will speak to him tomorrow. We shall make it plain to the UN that any money that we give must be used effectively and quickly. We do not wish to give money that just sits in a bank account in Geneva.

Baroness Phillips

My Lords, I wish to repeat a question I asked previously, as did the noble Lord on the Liberal Front Bench. What pressure is being brought to bear by Her Majesty's Government and the American Government on the Saudi Arabian, Bahreini, and Jordanian Governments? These countries are geographically much nearer to the refugees. If they can so quickly supply armaments, I cannot understand why they cannot help with food, tents and clothing.

To my mind, we are striking our breasts and saying, "Mea culpa", as though it were the fault of the West. Surely those countries have an obligation towards their Moslem brothers. It is up to our Government to make that clear to them.

The Earl of Caithness

My Lords, we are making it clear to all the neighbours of Iraq. I have already said this afternoon that we are raising the matter on a consistent and forceful basis with both the Saudi and Kuwaiti Governments.

Lord Murray of Epping Forest

My Lords, I am sure that the noble Earl will agree that donations by individuals or voluntary organisations cannot begin to match the scale of the need and can at best merely complement what governments are doing. Nevertheless, it is desirable for all reasons that we should encourage people and organisations such as churches to give freely. Does the noble Earl agree that too often when an appeal is made, rightly or wrongly—often to hide selfishness—the benefits do not reach people?

Can the noble Earl give us an assurance that everything will be done to ensure that provision of services, whether by governments or voluntary organisations, will reach the people who want and need them? Will he ensure that our own representatives, including the armed forces personnel, will be used to make sure that aid reaches people, that they receive it freely and that they are not exploited by middle men?

The Earl of Caithness

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Murray of Epping Forest, raises an important point. That is precisely why we have taken care to see that our aid is channelled through the UN and other agencies, not the Government of Iraq. We wish to see any aid we give go straight to the people who need it and that it is not held by middle men on the way.

Lord Tordoff

My Lords, the Minister will be aware that I am a fully paid up member of the Lynda Chalker fan club, particularly on matters like this. I am extremely glad to hear what has been said about her visit, which has been useful. To a certain extent, it answers the question from the noble Lord, Lord Murray, suggesting that the Government were perhaps a little slow in the first place in sending resources. They wished to be sure that the aid was properly targeted. I support that.

Can the noble Earl assist us by telling us what the Americans are doing about the situation in Iran? It seems that on the face of it they are reluctant to involve themselves in what might be described as the Iranian front. I suppose that that stems from the political difficulties in the past. Are they playing their part on that front? After all, it is a much bigger problem than the one in Turkey.

The Earl of Caithness

My Lords, the noble Lord is right to say that the problem of the refugees in Iran is bigger numerically. This is a matter for the American Government. I do not have up-to-date figures on their dispositions. This is where a united international appeal and co-ordination are required. It is not a matter necessarily of Britain, America or France acting in every area but wherever the aid can best be used with the host country.