§ Mr. Gummer:To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what expert advisers, other than on gender, he intends to send to Iraq for strategic advice; and on which subjects. [141824]
§ Hilary Benn:Within the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad, DFID currently provides strategic advisers in the following areas: Urban Development and Infrastructure, and Food Security. We 720W are planning to deploy additional experts in the following areas: Water and Sanitation, Local Government and Institutional Development, and Economic Policy.
DFID currently funds strategic advisers within the Coalitional Provisional Authority South (CPAS) in the following areas: Education, Economic Policy and Financial Management and Governance.
DFID has also agreed to fund strategic advisory posts within the Department of Economic Planning and Development within CPAS. Recruitment is on-going and advisers will work in the following areas: Economic Policy and Financial Management, Agriculture and Irrigation, Justice, Housing and Construction, Transport, Health, Power, Fuel, Water and Sanitation, Telecommunications and Internally Displaced Persons/Refugees.
§ Harry Cohen:To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what immunisation programme is in place for infants in Iraq; what percentage of babies born since the end of the conflict have been immunised; and if he will make a statement. [142614]
§ Hilary Benn:A national immunisation campaign is under way in Iraq which aims to vaccinate Iraq's 4.2 million children under five against preventable diseases such as polio, measles, tuberculosis, diphtheria and tetanus. The Ministry of Health, supported by UNICEF, has run a series of national immunisation days since June encouraging routine immunisation. DFID has provided £13.8 million to UNICEF to help fund this and other work.
Until the national immunisation days commenced in June, it is thought that no babies born since the end of conflict had been immunised. Since then, an estimated 3 million children under five (including babies) have been vaccinated. This implies that around 80 per cent. of under-fives have been vaccinated so far, though no comprehensive data are available.
There is also a continuing immunisation campaign which takes place twice a week, and aims to reach those children who have missed out on the routine programme of immunisation. In October, the estimated number of children under five reached through this programme was nearly 250,000.
§ John Barrett:To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the humanitarian requirements of Iraqi refugees along the Jordanian border. [142783]
§ Hilary Benn:The office of the United Nations Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) report that there are 1,150 refugees, mostly Iranian Kurds from AI-Tash camp (inside Iraq) and a further 822 in AI-Ruwayshid camp (350 km east of Amman), most of whom are Palestinians. These camps have been prepared for the winter by renewing and strengthening some of the tents and by providing additional blankets and mattresses.
An NGO partner, the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation (JHCO), say that they have changed summer tents for thicker winter ones which have a heater inside. Plastic covering is also provided for the outside of the tents and the ground. The number of blankets has doubled and each refugee will have four 721W blankets. Provision has also been made for specific storm shelters and extra clothing. In the area where the camps are established, the temperatures can be warm in the daytime but drop below zero at night.