§ Ms KinghamTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans her Department has over the next year to provide (i) aid and (ii) assistance for de-mining projects, to the people of Western Sahara with particular reference to Saharawi refugees. [39981]
§ Clare ShortThe majority of UK assistance to the Sarahawi is provided via the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). A proposal from ECHO for a 7.2 mecu (£4.8m) programme of assistance to the Saharawi refugees in Southern Algeria for 1998 has recently been approved—the UK share of this will be approximately £670,000. Under this programme, funding will be provided to NGOs, UN agencies and the Red Cross for food aid, medical and sanitary assistance and improving drinking water supply. For UNHCR, the UK recently announced a £10m package of support for 1998, of which £7m will go to general programmes which include assistance to Saharawi refugees.
We are also supporting some NGO programmes directly—my Department is providing £50,000 to War on Want for the improvement of food storage facilities for the refugees, and £30,000 to Action Water to improve water supply and distribution in the refugee camps.
We understand from the UNHCR that there are problems with mines in the vicinity of the refugee camps. Mines awareness training is carried out by the UNHCR. De-mining is the responsibility of the UN Department of Peace Keeping Operations but no demining operations have been carried out to date. DFID has not been approached to provide any funds for demining but we are ready to look sympathetically at any such requests.