§ Mr. RobathanTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what humanitarian assistance is being provided to the Democratic Republic of the Congo(a) bilaterally and (b) via the European Union; and if she will make a statement. [142483]
§ Clare ShortThe UK has provided over £1.3 million in humanitarian assistance to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 1999–2000, in the fields of health and nutrition, reintegration activities and assistance to refugees. The EU (through the European Community Humanitarian Office) is providing 20 million euros of humanitarian assistance to DRC this year. UK share of which is approximately 3.6 million euros.
The war in the DRC has caused untold suffering and damage to the region. The UK will continue to provide much-needed humanitarian assistance there. We continue to support the Lusaka Peace Agreement, as the political means to end the conflict. The UK is contributing people and money to support the peace-keeping and political aspects of the Agreement; we have provided six British Military Liaison Officers to the UN observer operation for DRC, and funding for the Joint Military Commission (responsible for supervising the cease-fire and military disengagement) and the National Dialogue, which is intended to lay the foundations for free and fair elections in DRC and national reconciliation. We have also provided an expert to support the talks Facilitator, former President of Botswana, Sir Ketumile Masire.