§ Mr. Robert BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports have been received about the effects of the civil war in the Sudan and the number of refugees who have left the country; what arrangements have been made by the Government to assist with the relief effort; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe civil war has had a devastating effect on southern Sudan. United Nations reports indicate the cash economy is non-existent; infrastructure, including communications systems, has broken down and transport is not available. Access to clean water, health and sanitation services is very limited. There are large numbers of internally displaced people.
Refugee movements in the south are complex. Last year 300,000 Sudanese refugees returned to southern Sudan from Ethiopia. This year about 20,000 refugees have crossed into northern Kenya.
Since 1989 we have provided £17.8 million to Operation Lifeline Sudan, the United Nations programme to provide relief assistance to the south. This year, Sudanese refugees will benefit from the £7 million we have pledged to help refugees in the Horn of Africa.