§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development how much international aid was received directly by the Russian constituent republics of(a) Ingushetia and (b) North Ossetia-Alania in each year since 1997; how much of this was delivered in (i) money and (ii) kind; what the UK's share of aid was in each year; and if he will make a statement. [131327]
Mr. Gareth ThomasSince 1997, DFID has contributed over £15 million for humanitarian assistance to support refugees and internally displaced people in the North Caucasus (includes Chechnya, North Ossetia, Ingushetia and Dagestan). Our funding is channelled through selected international agencies such as the UN and the International Red Cross.
For 2003–04, DFID has so far approved funds of £1.8 million for humanitarian assistance to support for both refugees and internally displaced people in the North Caucasus.
Since 1997, the EC contribution to the North Caucasus has been euro 111 million.
We do not have a breakdown of the total amount of international aid provided to Ingushetia and North Ossetia-Alania.
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§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development if he will list the major development programmes launched in(a) Ingushetia and (b) North Ossetia-Alania in each year since 1997; how long these programmes have run; what his Department's involvement has been in each of these programmes; and what assessment his Department has made of the impact of each programme. [131328]
Mr. Gareth ThomasThe UK's development programme for Russia aims, through its work with Federal Government, to benefit all regions of the country. However we consider that the North Caucasus is a medium term emergency. The security environment doesn't lend itself to developmental programmes. Therefore, the UK's assistance is focused only on humanitarian programmes. The UN agencies and the ICRC do work with the Russian Authorities to try and build capacity in certain areas, which we support.
§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the humanitarian situation in(a) North Ossetia-Alania, (b) Ingushetia, (c) the Ferghana Valley and (d) South Ossetia and their (i) direct and (ii) indirect sources; and if he will make a statement. [131329]
Mr. Gareth ThomasThe overall humanitarian situation in North Ossetia-Alania and Ingushetia remains acute. People affected by the instability in Chechnya are facing their fifth extremely difficult winter amid rising tensions in the region.
Four years after the resumption of hostilities in the Republic of Chechnya, more than 80,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Chechnya still live in tents or unsuitable shelters in the neighbouring Republic of Ingushetia. In North Ossetia, there are 30,000 Georgian refugees living in poor conditions. In Chechnya, the situation is worse. According to a recent UN report, more than 100,000 of the about 800,000 people living there are still displaced from their homes and surviving indoor conditions.
The UK travel restriction to the North Caucasus prevents DFID from making direct assessments of the humanitarian situation. DFID makes regular missions to Moscow and Georgia to meet with key international organisations and government officials who work in the area. Our humanitarian support to the North Caucasus is channelled through the UN, ICRC and international NGO's.
DFID has made no independent assessment of the humanitarian situation in the Ferghana Valley. The Department's representatives in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, are in regular contact with the UN organisations active in the Valley as well as with the governments concerned.
In South Ossetia the humanitarian situation remains acute. A de facto government is functioning. There is little rule of law. The area is economically dependent upon smuggled goods from Russia. Local Ossetians are migrating to North Ossetia due to economic hardship and lawlessness. The UN, Organisation for Security and Co-operation for Europe (OSCE), the EU is active in South Ossetia. The UN through its UNOCHA and 1017W (formerly the UNHCR) is responsible for humanitarian assessments and aid provision. The EC has participated in the Joint Control Commission (JCC) on South Ossetia since 1991. This quadripartite body (with Georgia, South Ossetia, North Ossetia and Russia) is conducted by the OSCE. The OSCE continues the search for a settlement. The EU provided in 2000 and 2001 Euro 1.045 million to the Georgia Border Guards, aimed at protecting the unarmed OSCE monitors at the border between Georgia and Chechnya. Most International Organisations formerly involved left as the security situation deteriorated.
We are aware of the situation and we have made small contributions through the multilateral organisations and Small Grants Scheme.
§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development if he will list the major development programmes launched in South Ossetia in each year since 1997; how long these programmes have run; what his Department's involvement has been in each of these programmes; and what assessment his Department has made of the impact of each programme. [131332]
Mr. Gareth ThomasThe UK's development programme for Georgia aims to benefit all regions of the country. However the difficulties of working in unresolved conflict situations do not lend themselves to development programmes. The EU has provided through its annual allocations from the 1997 and 1999 budgets a total of Euro 7.5 million to stimulate the peace process between South Ossetia and the Georgian Government.
§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what the total amount of international aid received directly by the Georgian autonomous region of South Ossetia was in each year since 1997; how much of this was delivered in(a) money and (b) kind; what the United Kingdom's share of aid was in each year; and if he will make a statement. [131331]
Mr. Gareth ThomasSince the cease-fire agreement concluded in 1992 to bring the fighting to an end, the legal situation over the status of South Ossetia remains grid locked between the Georgian Government and South Ossetia authorities and is unlikely to be resolved in the foreseeable future. We will continue to support the efforts of the international community to bring about a lasting settlement to this situation.
We do not have a breakdown of the total amount of international aid provided to South Ossetia. We do however make small contributions annually through our Small Grants Scheme managed by our embassy in Tbilisi. We have not provided any major assistance to South Ossetia.
§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom's involvement in the United Nations' Ferghana Valley Development Programme; what discussions(a) he and (b) members of his Department have had with representatives of the (i) Tajik, (ii) Turkmen and 1018W (iii) Uzbek governments about the United Nations' Ferghana Valley Development Programme; and if he will make a statement. [131330]
Mr. Gareth ThomasThe UN Ferghana Valley Development Programme dates back to early 2000, and since then there has been no British involvement. The programme attempts to link the three neighbouring states (Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan) through a number of cross border development initiatives. There has been little progress due to the lack of enthusiasm on the part of the Uzbek. Government.