§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development in which ways gender and womens rights are being taken into account in the post-conflict reconstruction of Iraq; and what importance will be given to them in the new constitution of Iraq. [115404]
§ Hilary BennDFID, within the influence available to us, will strive to ensure women are included in all phases and levels of reconstruction in Iraq. We must help Iraqi women to ensure that womens rights are a central part of post-war Iraq. We recognise the importance of, and support the demands of Iraqi women for, a Womens meeting before the proposed National Conference in Baghdad, which will consider the political future of Iraq. We are discussing these issues with our partners, including UNIFEM.
§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development if he will make a statement on the humanitarian situation in Iraq. [115405]
§ Hilary BennThe humanitarian situation in Iraq is improving, but significant challenges remain.
While progress has been made on restoring law and order, insecurity continues to be a constraint to humanitarian relief work, particularly in and around Baghdad. A more stable environment has been secured around Basra, but risks remain there too.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) did invaluable work in Iraq throughout the conflict to maintain and repair water supply systems and to support hospitals. With the end of major combat operations, international UN staff and NGOs have begun to return to the country. The UN has set up five regional teams to coordinate humanitarian assistance, including one in Basra. In the South, 22 NGOs have established a presence. These include the Mines Advisory Group (MAG), GOAL and War Child which are supported by DFID.
In many areas water and power services are almost back to pre-conflict levels. The ICRC and UK military are working well together in restoring and maintaining clean water supplies in the South. The situation in other parts of the country, including Kirkuk and Mosul, is also continuing to improve. In Baghdad, some 80 per cent. of the population now have access to water services for some part of the day.
272WThere is no food crisis at present. Food stocks in the pipeline for June are good, although there are shortages of some commodities which DFID is helping to address by funding the purchase by the World Food Programme (WFP) of pulses and cooking oil. Plans are in hand to purchase local Iraqi crops in the coming weeks.
The Iraqi health system has suffered from looting, staff being afraid to return to work and unpaid salaries. Coalition forces are now providing security to a number of hospitals to protect staff and prevent further looting, and the ICRC has helped to replace missing equipment. Arrangements are now being made to pay regular salaries to hospital staff and other public sector workers. The World Health Organisation (WHO) report no overall shortage of medical supplies, though localised shortages of some specialist drugs exist. ICRC assesses that there is no need for new or temporary hospitals, and no chronic bed shortages. In Basra, the seasonal cholera outbreak appears to be under control. DFID has donated cholera kits to WHO in case they are needed.
Accidents caused by mines and unexploded ordinance increased substantially during and since the conflict. The situation is made worse by abandoned Iraqi munitions dumps, some dating back to the Iran-Iraq war and the 1991 conflict. The UNs Mine Action Service (UNMAS), with DFID financial support, is coordinating work to address the problem, but it will be a major long term task.
DFID has committed 115m to support the work of the Red Cross, UN agencies and international non-governmental organisations in the current crisis. A further £95 million has been set aside for further needs as they emerge.
§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the availability of medical supplies in Iraq. [115406]
§ Hilary BennThe World Health Organisation is monitoring medical supplies. Its latest assessment is that there is not an overall shortage of medical supplies in Iraq, though there are shortages of drugs for a few specific conditions.
§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Minister of State. Department for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the supply of(a) clean water, (b) sanitation and (c) electricity throughout Iraq. [115407]
§ Hilary BennA number of agencies have now taken part in initial post-conflict assessment missions to determine the state of essential services and to prioritise emergency responses. Most agency assessments and future plans are available from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)website at: www.agoodplacetostart.org
Maintaining clean water supplies has been an immediate concern. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and others, including the UK military, have done good work to repair water and sanitation facilities, and to supply water by alternative means while supplies are disrupted.
273WInternational agencies, including the ICRC and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), are now supporting local municipality and electricity board work teams to improve the mains power supply in Iraq.
The situation in many parts of the country is now improving: in Basra the quantity of water supplied now exceeds pre-conflict levels; In Baghdad power and water are now reaching 80 per cent. of the urban population but on an intermittent basis.
§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what recent discussions he has had with NGOs concerning the post-conflict reconstruction of Iraq. [115408]
§ Hilary BennDFID officials and UK NGOs have been meeting weekly since mid-February to discuss latest developments, needs and priorities in Iraq.
§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what measures are in place to restore and maintain security in Iraq to enable the provision of humanitarian aid. [115409]
§ Hilary BennThe maintenance of public order in Iraq is a Coalition obligation. In response to continued insecurity Coalition forces are increasing their patrols in Baghdad, in some cases jointly with Iraqi police. The Government is consulting with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) on possible next steps. It is vital that a secure environment is established in all areas so that humanitarian agencies can continue to enter Iraq and provide assistance where it is most needed.
§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development which local Iraqi non-governmental organisations his Department is working with. [115410]
§ Hilary BennDFID has continuing programmes of support in the north of Iraq, through Save the Children UK, HelpAge International, Christian Aid, Response Relief Resettlement and Rehabilitation (4Rs), A Community Oriented Rehabilitation Network (ACORN); and also with Care in the centre and south of Iraq. These NGOs work extensively with local Iraqi people and local NGOs in the implementation of their programmes. DFID officials hope to meet local Iraqi NGOs once the security situation in Iraq has improved.
§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what steps his Government is taking to protect the aid agencies warehouses containing stockpiles of humanitarian aid in Iraq. [115411]
§ Hilary BennAs part of their obligations under the Geneva Convention and Hague Regulations UK forces are working to protect storage facilities containing humanitarian supplies.
§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what measures are in place to help return refugees and internally displaced people to their homes in Iraq. [115413]
§ Hilary BennThe UN Office of Project Services reports that the majority of newly displaced people have returned to their homes in the north of the country. They are currently surveying groups displaced prior to the conflict and working on plans to assist them274W in returning home. In addition, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is planning for the return of up to half a million refugees from outside the country, primarily from Iran. DFID has provided £1.75 million to UNHCR since the start of the conflict to assist with their work in Iraq and neighbouring countries.
§ Mr. GardinerTo ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development pursuant to the answer of 15 May 2003,Official Report, column 394W, on Iraq, what assessment the Department has made of whether there is sufficient infrastructure in place in Iraq to be able to distribute the harvest. [116032]
§ Hilary BennThe World Food Programme (WFP) and the Iraqi Ministry of Trade (MoT) are assessing the urgent repairs needed to the food distribution infrastructure in Iraq. The Coalition Provisional Authority has said it will provide US $50,000 to each governorate in Iraq to strengthen distribution networks by improving security of sites, making emergency repairs, re-equipping offices and paying transport costs. The Iraqi Public Distribution System for food resumed on 1 June 2003.
§ Mr. GardinerTo ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development (1) pursuant to her answer of 15 May 2003,Official Report, column 394W, if he will make a statement on the discussions as soon as they are concluded; [116033]
(2) pursuant to the answer of 15 May 2003, Official Report, columns 394–95W, on Iraq, what steps the Department will take should the food stocks run out.[116066]
§ Hilary BennFood stocks are not expected to run out in Iraq. The World Food Programme (WFP) is making arrangements to enable it to purchase wheat from Iraqs 2003 harvest. WFP also report that food is entering Iraq from neighbouring countries at a significantly increased rate. The first post-war distribution of food stocks began on 1 June 2003. DFID has provided £33 million to WFP to support their work in Iraq.
§ Mr. WeirTo ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development pursuant to his answer of 15 May 2003,Official Report, column 394W, what drugs shortages there are in Iraq; and what the Department is doing to end these shortages. [116107]
§ Hilary BennThe World Health Organisation is monitoring medical supplies. Its latest assessment is that, while there is no general shortfall in the availability of most drugs, there is a shortage of drugs for some chronic illnesses such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease. DFID is supporting the Iraqi Ministry of Health through WHO and other humanitarian agencies to reactivate the former drug distribution system to address these shortages.
§ Mr. WalterTo ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what assessment he has made of changes in cancer rates among children in Southern Iraq since 1991. [116168]
§ Hilary BennDFID is not aware that any assessment has been made of changes in cancer rates among children in Southern Iraq since 1991, although the previous regime had collected some information on the 275W incidence of cancer in the country. Current work on assessing childrens health in Iraq is focused on establishing immediate humanitarian needs.
Most assessments are available from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) website at: www.agoodplacetostart.org
§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development when he expects a full survey of child malnutrition in Iraq to be undertaken. [116413]
§ Hilary BennA full and detailed national nutritional survey is not immediately feasible because security conditions in many parts of Iraq are preventing humanitarian agencies access to households. However, a few agencies, including UNICEF, have undertaken local rapid nutritional assessments in order to gain rough indicators of malnutrition levels. These are currently judged to be moderate, but not alarming. The results from these surveys will be used to prioritise areas for more thorough investigation, and possible provision of assistance, as and when security permits.
Most agency assessments are available from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) website at: www.agoodplacetostart.org
§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the impact of ethnic violence on the humanitarian aid effort in Iraq. [116415]
§ Hilary BennWe are aware of the incidence of ethnic strife in some areas resulting from the previous regimes policy of Arabisation, which forced many Kurds, Turkomans and Assyrians from their homes in Kirkuk and other towns in the north of Iraq. UN agency missions to Kirkuk are currently limited to day visits, but the provision of humanitarian assistance continues through UN and humanitarian agencies. DFID is monitoring the situation closely.
§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development if he will make a statement on the impact of the war in Iraq on the level of malnutrition among children under five. [116698]
§ Hilary BennAccurate data on the impact of the war in Iraq on child malnutrition are not available. Poor nutrition levels among children in Iraq have been a longterm problem that preceded the conflict. Current disruptions to health, water and sanitation services, and a proliferation of diarrhoeal diseases in many urban centres, have increased the risk.
DFID has provided £9 million to support UNICEFs work in Iraq.