§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of recent research published inThe Lancet on the number of babies and young children dying in Iraq following the Gulf conflict and the initiation of the United Nations sanctions; and if he will make a statement. [126277]
§ Mr. HainWe remain extremely concerned by reports of high rates of infant and child mortality in central and southern Iraq. But we welcome the fact that in northern Iraq—where Saddam Hussein's writ does not run—child mortality rates are now lower than they were before the Gulf War. The UK has always advocated and supported initiatives aimed at better targeting the humanitarian efforts to help the most vulnerable. We led the way over the last year in introducing significant changes to the UN humanitarian programme in Iraq, through the adoption of Security Council resolution 1284 and 1302. Those changes mean that there will be an estimated $10 billion this year alone for the programme. As the UN Secretary-General has concluded, this will put the Government of Iraq in a position to reduce malnutrition levels and to improve the health status of the Iraqi people.