§ Sir David SteelTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contributions to meeting humanitarian needs in the safe haven area of northern Iraq have been conducted by his Department, the European Community and the UN; and what is his estimate of the needs for both the safe haven and other areas of northern Iraq for the next six months.
§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd[holding answer 20 November 1992]: Since April 1991 we have provided nearly £3 million in bilateral assistance towards the humanitarian needs of northern Iraq. The figures available to us for EC humanitarian aid to Iraq do not disaggregrate spending in the north and south. The total since April 1991 is 105 million ecu, of which the United Kingdom share is around £12.5 million. A further EC contribution is at present under consideration. Figures for UN humanitarian spending are not immediately available to us.
A UN needs assessment carried out in September 1992 estimated that 750,000 Kurds would need relief aid during the coming winter. The Food and Agriculture Organisation at that time estimated a food shortfall of 35,000 tonnes. However, it is now recognised that the figures will be considerably higher, due to the continued internal economic blockade of the north operated by the Baghdad Government. In early October a joint assessment mission led by the United States and including EC and United Kingdom representatives visited northern Iraq and concluded that in the absence of a government food ration, a further 74,000 tonnes of food would be required for a further 1.5 million people.
The UN has appealed for $256 million to implement its plan of action, of which approximately half is intended for the north. So far it calculates that $62 million is available in new pledges or carried over from its previous appeal.