Iraq (Hansard, 14 July 2003)

§ Miss McIntosh
To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development if he will make a statement on the provision of humanitarian aid in Iraq. [124429]

§ Hilary Benn
DFID has so far committed £154 million in the current crisis—including £35 million announced on 26 June in response to the United Nations Revised Humanitarian Appeal for Iraq of 23 June. Most of this finance is channelled through organisations such as United Nations agencies, the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement and NGOs, which have the capacity 7W and expertise to mount operations quickly and effectively on the ground. A further £56 million is available to meet additional needs as they emerge.
On 3 July I placed in the Library of the House details of this funding, and the work that has been undertaken so far.

§ Mr. Paul Marsden
To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what proportion of the population in each district of Iraq is(a) homeless, (b) living in temporary accommodation and (c) living on food rationing. [124633]

§ Hilary Benn
Reliable statistics for homeless people and those living in temporary accommodation in Iraq are not available. It is estimated that, before the recent conflict, between 600,000 and 800,000 people were displaced in the north of Iraq, mainly from Kirkuk and Mosul, by the Saddam regime's Arabisation policies and inter-ethnic fighting; and between 100,000 and 300,000 Shia people were displaced in the south following the Gulf War and state-sponsored drainage of the marshes. Assessments are being made of displacement that has resulted from the recent conflict. These include Arab families who were living in homes now being reclaimed by returning Kurds; and a number of families rendered destitute by war damage and looting.
The Iraqi Ministry of Trade's Public Distribution System for food aid, which was re-launched on 1 June 2003, aims to distribute food rations to the entire Iraqi population of 27 million people. The World Food Programme estimates that the June ration reached about 95 per cent. of intended recipients.

§ Mr. Paul Marsden
To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what percentage of the population in each district in Iraq have(a) access to clean water in their homes and (b) full time electricity. [124634]

§ Hilary Benn
Reliable statistics are not available by district in Iraq. Maintaining both clean water and electricity supplies has been a high priority for the coalition since the end of the recent conflict.
In 2000, the World Health Organisation and UNICEF estimated that 48 per cent. of people in rural areas and 96 per cent. of people in urban areas had access to clean drinking water. The International Committee of the Red Cross has worked well with other humanitarian organisations, the UK military and local authorities to repair water facilities and provide water by alternative means while supplies have been disrupted, primarily by looting, after the recent conflict. The situation in many parts of the country, including Basra, Kirkuk and Mosul is now improving. Baghdad is now receiving 70 to 90 per cent. of its pre-war water supplies.
Electricity installations did not sustain significant damage during the recent war, but power supplies are very variable as a result of previous lack of maintenance and subsequent looting and sabotage. Generation capacity is estimated at 50 to 60 per cent. of the country's needs.