§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on aid to be made available to Iraq for the forthcoming year. [101647]
§ Clare ShortOur ongoing programme of humanitarian support in Iraq, is expected to disburse around £6 million in the forthcoming financial year. I have also recently committed an additional £10 million from the current financial year to assist UN agencies and NGOs with contingency planning. My Department172W maintains a contingency reserve of £88 million, which I would draw on in the event of any worsening humanitarian crisis in Iraq.
§ Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the impact on Iraqi civilians, in terms of(a) hunger and (b) disease, of military hostilities against Iraq. [101652]
§ Clare ShortThe vulnerability of the Iraqi people to humanitarian crisis should not be underestimated. People's private coping strategies have been worn away by years of misrule. 60 per cent. of the population are totally dependent for food on the UN Oil For Food Programme which is likely to be disrupted in the event of military action. A majority live in urban areas, with a dependence on electrically-powered water and sanitation systems which might also be disrupted, leading to a number of potential health problems. My Department is in regular discussion with the Ministry of Defence, the UN, partner Governments and other humanitarian actors about minimising the humanitarian risks of any conflict to the Iraqi people, and responding to any crises which might arise.
§ Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the(a) cost and (b) logistics of aid operations established to replace the oil for food programme for Iraq. [101654]
§ Clare ShortCurrent annual expenditures under the UN oil for food programme run at around $10 billion, the largest elements of which are the food allocation ($3 billion) and basic service delivery supplies (health, education, water and sanitation, and electricity—$2 billion). In the event of military action, we will work with others to minimise disruption to the programme and re-establish it as quickly as possible. During any period in which the programme was not able to function, the responsibility to provide immediate humanitarian relief would fall to those best placed to help, and my Department has been working with the Ministry of Defence and other partners on how best this might be done. The potential scale of this task, for a population of whom 60 per cent. are dependent on the programme, is enormous. The costs involved would obviously vary depending on the length of any disruption, but the ability of the international community to meet them will be greatly enhanced if a lead role for the UN is put in place for the relief and reconstruction of Iraq following any conflict.