§ Lord Evans of Parksideasked Her Majesty's Government:
What measures they are taking to alleviate the suffering of people living in Baghdad-controlled Iraq. [HL,1058]
§ Lord WhittyThe UK co-sponsored UN Security Resolution 1153 allows for $5.256 billion of oil to be sold over 180 days. The Department for International Development will be co-hosting a meeting with the Foreign Office to discuss how the European Union and others can help the UN to implement effectively the expanded oil-for-food programme to meet the most pressing needs of the Iraqi people.
Bilaterally, we have announced a new £7 million programme to relieve the suffering of the ordinary people in Iraq, particularly the children. This will be for humanitarian assistance in Baghdad-controlled Iraq, directed through UN agencies, international agencies and NGOs which have continued to work in the area.
This new package is in addition to the Department for International Development's (DFID) existing £3 million programme, which is concentrated in the north. It focuses on de-mining and vulnerable groups such as working children, children with disabilities and widow-headed households.