§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what financial assistance the United Kingdom Government have provided to(a) Albania, (b) Macedonia and (c) Montenegro since 24 March. [82062]
§ Clare ShortSince 24 March, the British Government has allocated £20 million for the provision of humanitarian assistance for the refugees from Kosovo. This funding has been used to support the work of the United Nations, the Red Cross, and Non-Governmental Organisations. A detailed country-by-country breakdown of expenditure is not currently available—many of the programmes supported cover more than one country. We16W are currently considering, in concert with the International Financial Institutions and other key partners, the provision of broader macro-economic assistance to countries hosting the refugees. The EU has committed £100 million to Macedonia and Albania. The UK share of the EU commitment is approximately £15 million.
§ Mr. StreeterTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the (i) need and (ii) estimated costs of providing water, electricity and sanitation to the refugee camps in(a) Albania and (b) Macedonia; and if she will make a statement. [82160]
§ Clare ShortWe are not, of course, responsible for running the camps in Macedonia and Albania, but we obviously recognise the vital importance of providing adequate water, sanitation, electricity and other services to the refugee camps. Our military and civilian personnel have been actively involved in planning and establishing, and ensured adequate provision. Detailed information about the costs of providing these utilities is not currently available.
§ Mr. StreeterTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development how support for refugees in Macedonia and Albania is being co-ordinated amongst EU member states. [82157]
§ Clare ShortThere have been meetings in Brussels, Geneva, and London, over the last three weeks, to co-ordinate international action to provide humanitarian assistance for the refugees. In particular, an extraordinary meeting of the EU Humanitarian Aid Committee was called to discuss Kosovo on 9 April.
§ Mr. StreeterTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has to provide basic education for child refugees in Albania and Macedonia. [82158]
§ Clare ShortWe are not, of course, running the refugee camps in Macedonia or Albania, but our programme of assistance for the refugees includes funding for education projects. We have, for example, contributed £300,000 to the Save the Children Fund appeal, which includes plans for non-formal educational activities in Macedonia and Albania.
§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the countries which have received refugees as a result of the Kosovo crisis. [82064]
§ Clare ShortAccording to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the following countries or states have received refugees from Kosovo in recent weeks: Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkey, France, Poland, Israel, Norway, Belgium, Croatia, Germany, Iceland, Switzerland and Austria. The UK has agreed to UNHCR's request to grant temporary protection to Kosovar refugees—the first group are expected to arrive in the UK on 25 April.
§ Mr. StreeterTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement about the ways in which the £20 million of financial help from her Department for Kosovar refugees is being spent. [82161]
17W
§ Clare shortThe UK has made a major contribution to trying to increase the effectiveness of the UN-lead on humanitarian effort. We are funding airlifts and the necessary logistical support to overcome the constraints on delivering international assistance to those in need. So far, we have funded 32 flights, a truck convoy in Albania, personnel, and aircraft handling equipment for Tirana and Skopje airports. Our offices in Tirana and Skopje are working with NATO and UNHCR to establish refugee centres in Albania and Macedonia. We are strengthening agency capacity through the provision of key personnel, and making cash grants to international agencies and NGOs.
§ Mr. StreeterTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment her Department has made of the medical needs of the refugees in Macedonia and Albania; and what provisions her Department has made to meet these needs. [82159]
§ Clare ShortWe are in close touch with the World Health Organisation (WHO), who are taking the lead responsibility for the medical needs of the refugees. At present, the health status of refugees in both Macedonia and Albania is judged to be reasonably good, with no major epidemics, though recent arrivals have been in poorer condition as a result of spending several days on the road.
We have placed health experts in our offices in Tirana and Skopje. We are also providing a public health expert for WHO in Tirana. We have funded the purchase and transportation of 14 WHO emergency health kits to Macedonia, and seven kits for Albania—these will cover the needs of 210,000 people for 3 months.
§ Mr. StreeterTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has prepared to maintain support for refugees in Macedonia and Albania over the next few months. [82156]
§ Clare ShortOur overriding aim is to enable the refugees to return to their homes as soon as possible. We recognise, however, that the refugees will require continuing support for some time to come, and are planning accordingly. We have established field offices in Tirana and Skopje, with experts in areas such as health and camp planning, to identify and respond to needs, both immediate and long term. We are strengthening the capacity of the humanitarian agencies themselves through secondment of expert personnel; and a DFID liaison officer is working with General Reith, the Commander of the British forces in Albania, to maximise the effectiveness of the humanitarian assistance they can provide. We have also begun, with the US, Germany, France and Italy, the planning for refugee returns to Kosovo.