HC Deb 13 February 2001 vol 363 cc69-70W
Mr. Cox

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what advice her Department is giving to people who wish to undertake voluntary work in Gujarat State, India, following the recent earthquake. [149464]

Mr. Mullin

India has a great deal of expertise in relief and rehabilitation operations and substantial resources have been mobilised in response to the earthquake in Gujarat, including medical and paramedical personnel, engineers and logisticians.

The Department for International Development has advised those volunteers with specialist skills to contact organisations that maintain databases of suitably qualified individuals, such as RedR (Registered Engineers for Disaster Relief; 1 Great George street, London, SW1P 3AA, 010 7233 3116) and the International Health Exchange (1st Floor, 134 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7AE; 020 7620 3333). These databases are used by the United Nations agencies, the Red Cross and other nongovernmental organisations when personnel are needed quickly for short-term missions as well as longer-term assignments.

The DFID encourages people without specialist skills who wish to contribute to do so in cash rather than in kind by contributing towards the operational agencies working in the area. The best way for individuals to help is to contribute to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) at 52 Great Portland street, London W1N 6TB (0870 60 60 90). The DEC is the umbrella organisation that is responsible for co-ordinating the response to emergencies from charitable organisations as well as donations from the public. The DEC appeal has raised £5 million to date.

Mr. Cox

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what items have been urgently requested of her by the Indian Government following the earthquake in Gujarat State; to what extent her Department is able(a) to supply and (b) to advise on these items; and if she will make a statement; [149463]

(2) what requests she has received from the Indian Government for assistance to survivors from the recent earthquake in Gujarat State. [149466]

Mr. Mullin

The Indian Government have not made any formal request for assistance, but have announced that appropriate support would be welcome.

I refer my hon Friend to my previous response detailing the material and financial assistance my Department has given to date, given on 5 February 2001, Official Report, columns 408–09W.

Mr. Cox

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what long-term programme of assistance and advice her Department is developing with the Indian Government to help in the area affected by the recent earthquake in Gujarat State. [149467]

Mr. Mullin

The Department for International Development's priority is to ensure that those who have survived the earth quake are cared for until normal services can be restored. The Indian Government are developing plans for rehabilitation and reconstruction; it is expected that these will be largely funded by the World bank and the Asian Development bank. We have offered advice to the Indian Government on strengthening disaster preparedness arrangements, which will include Gujarat.

Mr. Cox

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance her Department is offering to the Indian Government to help young children orphaned by the recent earthquake in Gujarat State. [149468]

Mr. Mullin

The Department for International Development has made a total allocation of £10 million for humanitarian assistance to Gujarat.

This is being channelled through the United Nations, the Red Cross and a number of non-governmental organisations for the provision of essential relief items such as tents, blankets, medical supplies, food, water and sanitation. All these agencies aim to focus their assistance on the most vulnerable, which will inevitably include young children who have been orphaned as a result of the earthquake.

More specifically we have provided £1 million to UNICEF, part of which will support their child protection programme. This programme aims to identify and care for children who have been orphaned or separated from their families.

We have also contributed £450,000 to Save the Children for the pro vision of shelter and non-food relief items for children and their families. They will also make efforts to ensure that those children placed in orphanages make contact with any remaining family by offering specialist advice to all organisations working with separated children.

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