§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the level of cross-border humanitarian assistance to internally displaced people in Burma. [147348]
§ Hilary BennWe know that some agencies provide cross-border assistance to internally displaced people in Burma, but we do not have reliable information on the total levels of this assistance. DFID does not fund cross-border assistance since we are unable to undertake monitoring and evaluation in these areas to ensure effective use of funds provided.
We support the World Health Organisation's border health programme and the Burmese Border Consortium's effort to provide food aid to refugees along the border in Thailand, totalling £0.67 million in 2003–04. Internally displaced people are likely to be among the beneficiaries of DFID funding to tackle HIV/AIDS across Burma and basic health care programmes in two border states, towards which DFID is making a total contribution of £2.3 million in 2003–04.