§ Mrs. ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what humanitarian assistance Her Majesty's Government are giving to Iraq via the European Community, the International Committee of the Red Cross, United Nations agencies, and other relief agencies.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggThe United Kingdom supports the work of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations relief agencies in Iraq. This year we have already given £2.5 million to the ICRC's Gulf appeal and US $1 million to the United Nations appeal co-ordinated by UNDRO. In addition, the EC Commission has given £8.75 million to support the relief activities in the Gulf region. The share of this attributable to the United Kingdom's aid budget is £1.75 million. All these funds are available for use in Iraq.
In the light of reports from the ICRC and United Nations Under-Secretary-General Ahtisaari, the United Nations sanctions committee, with full British support, has now made a general determination that humanitarian circumstances apply with respect to the entire civilian population of Iraq in all parts of Iraq's national territory and that the civilian and humanitarian imports identified in Mr. Ahtisaari's report, which are integrally related to the supply of foodstuffs and supplies intended for medical purposes, should be allowed with immediate effect.