Kosovo (Hansard, 3 November 1999)

§ 19. Mr. Nigel Griffiths
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will estimate the amount spent on aid in Kosovo to date. [95598]

§ Clare Short
An estimated spending figure for all donors is not yet available. The World Bank is currently collating figures provided by donors in preparation for the Donors' Conference to be held on November 17 in Brussels.
Prior to the end of the air campaign, my Department spent approximately £40 million in humanitarian assistance in response to the crisis. We have committed a further £62 million since the refugees were able to return.

§ 21. Mr. Llwyd
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what humanitarian aid is committed for the current year to assist the people of Kosovo. [95600]

§ Clare Short
Since the end of the air campaign my Department has committed some £62 million in assistance to Kosovo. Our strategy has six strands which have been agreed in consultation with other donors. These include support for the United Nations-led international civil administration; human rights promotion including the provision of objective information and accessible justice for all Kosovars; clearing mines, unexploded ordnance and booby traps; providing relief to returnees and internally displaced people; restoring essential elements of the health system; and supporting emergency rehabilitation to restore essential community and public infrastructure, particularly power and water supplies.

§ 24. Mr. Soley
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on current assistance to Kosovo. [95603]

§ Clare Short
Our strategy for assistance to Kosovo has six strands, which have been agreed in consultation with other donors and agencies active in Kosovo. These include support for the United Nations-led international civil administration, both through the provision of personnel and payment of stipends for local public employees. We are supporting the promotion of human230W rights; this includes the provision of objective information, particularly through support for independent media, and accessible justice for all Kosovars, through funding legal advice centres. We have provided emergency response teams to map and clear mines and unexploded ordnance. We have funded humanitarian agencies to provide relief to returnees. We are restoring essential elements of the health system, including Pristina University Hospital and local clinics. We have established an Emergency Infrastructure Engineering Unit which is helping local authorities to re-establish basic power and water supplies; we are also beginning emergency work on Pristina airport to keep essential supplies coming into Kosovo and enable 24 hour civil air access during the winter months.

§ Mr. Nigel Griffiths
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the non-military support given in aid to Kosovo by the UK in 1999; and if she will estimate the total UNHCR aid to Kosovo over that period. [96904]

§ Clare Short
My Department gave £500,000 to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) in early March 1999 to enable them to respond flexibly to developments in Kosovo and the neighbouring states. In response to the refugee crisis we spent some £39 million in direct operations and in support of agency interventions in Albania, Macedonia and Montenegro.
Following NATO entry, my Department has committed some £59 million in assistance to Kosovo. Our strategy has six strands which have been agreed in consultation with other donors. These include support for the United Nations-led international civil administration; human rights promotion including the provision of objective information and accessible justice for all Kosovars; clearing mines, and unexploded ordnance; providing relief to returnees and internally displaced people; restoring essential elements of the health system; and supporting emergency rehabilitation to restore essential community and public infrastructure, particularly power and water supplies. We have recently committed £3 million for work to keep Pristina airport open for civilian air operations through the winter.
UNHCR have appealed for $332.9 million for Kosovo related work in 1999. Figures for their spending in Kosovo itself are not available. The UK has contributed some £5.8 million of in-kind assistance (seconded staff, convoys, airlifts) and $4.4 million in grants to support their activities in Kosovo.