§ Mr. RobathanTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent reports he has received from departmental officials on feeding schemes in Zimbabwe; and if he will publish them. [137102]
§ Hilary BennDFID officials provide frequent reports on the humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe. As we move into the period of more serious food shortages this318W material will be used to update Parliament and the public, including through the DFID website. Public reporting of DFID-funded food aid programmes in Zimbabwe is already extensive. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) reports quarterly on the Emergency Operation. The reports are distributed to all interested parties and are published on the WFP website. The latest WFP quarterly report (July to September) has just been released. DFID's recent pledge of £5 million to WFP will enable them to increase the coverage of their monitoring and also the frequency of their reports to a monthly basis.
The UN website for Humanitarian Information (Reliefweb) provides published reports on NGO and non-food operations in addition to WFP reports. Other relevant information can be found on the website of the Southern African Humanitarian Information Management System (SAHIMS).
§ Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department is giving to those countries bordering Zimbabwe to help them deal with people who are fleeing across the border from Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement. [137689]
§ Hilary BennTo date the Governments of Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa and Zambia have not sought specific assistance from the UK to cope with this issue, additional to our ongoing programmes directed to poverty reduction. We are keeping in touch with relevant authorities and non-government organisations in the region about migration issues. We stand ready to respond to requests for help if necessary.