§ 20. Mr. WattsTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on her Department's actions to help with reconstruction in the Central American countries affected by Hurricane Mitch. [85994]
§ Clare ShortOur contribution to the initial phase of reconstruction has totalled £4.2 million. In addition to immediate emergency assistance, we have provided grants to the United Nations Children's Fund for emergency repairs to water and sanitation infrastructure and to restore primary health and education services. We also provided funds for a programme of emergency repairs and rehabilitation to rural roads and bridges, and a cash for work incentive targeting particularly neglected municipalities. Regionally we have given grants to the Pan-American Health Organisation to support national health authorities, particularly for epidemic control, and to the United Nations Development Programme to support co-ordination.
Following our recommendation, the World Bank set up a Trust Fund to help countries affected by Hurricane Mitch meet their debt service payments to international financial institutions. We committed £10 million to this purpose. Bilateral Governments have also agreed to forgo debt repayments for the next two years.
In the long term we plan to spend some £6 million in the region over the next two years on measures to help with the long term reconstruction. This will include projects in health, capacity building and disaster prevention.