§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance her Department provides to internally displaced people in Afghanistan. [71141]
§ Clare ShortInternally Displaced People (IDPs), are targeted by UN agencies, the Red Cross Movement and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for the urgent provision of humanitarian assistance. The Afghan Transitional Administration and the international community are working to ensure the reintegration of uprooted Afghans — both IDPs and refugees — who wish to return home. Programmes coordinated by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) are underway to facilitate return, build the capacity of communities to absorb returning families, and integrate short-term programmes with longer-term strategies to ensure sustainable reintegration of returnees. Since 591W September 2001, my Department has contributed £5 million to UNHCR and £4.6 million to IOM for their programmes in the region.