HC Deb 25 May 2004 vol 421 cc1518-9W
Angus Robertson

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimates he has made of the number of refugees from Darfur in Chad; when these figures were last revised; and if he will make a statement. [175084]

Mr. Gareth Thomas

Reliable figures for the number of refugees in Chad are difficult to find because of the inaccessibility of the areas affected. Agencies on the ground are constantly reviewing their estimates. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) press statement on 14 May 2004 estimated that there were 120,000 Darfurian refugees in Chad. Refugees International estimated on 19 May that the number could be nearer 200,000.

The Government are gravely concerned about the serious situation in Darfur. In addition to the refugees

UK Government-funded humanitarian interventions in Darfur, Sudan
Period Agency Description Total cost (£)
October to December 2003 UNHCR Supplementary Appeal for Emergency Assistance to Sudanese Refugees in Eastern Chad—2003 1,000,000
October 2003 to September 2004 SC-UK Emergency Response to Conflict Related Internal Displacement in North Darfur 500,000
November to December 2003 ICRC Contribution to the ICRC 2003 Emergency Appeal for Sudan 1,000,000
November 2003 to March 2004 WFP Additional Contribution to 2003 UN Appeal, due to Crisis in Darfur, to Provide Emergency Food Assistance to Sudanese Populations Affected by War and Natural Disasters 2,000,000
January to April 2004 MSF-F Emergency Assistance to IDPs in Darfur—through increasing access to health care in conflict areas, disease prevention, halting nutritional deterioration and treating malnourished children 491,369
January to December 2004 MSF-H Darfur Components of Emergency Health Interventions in Northern Sudan Project 650,000
February to December 2004 UNICEF Emergency Assistance to Humanitarian Crisis in Darfur for Health; Water Supply; Water and Environmental Sanitation; Relief and Shelter Items; and the Protection of Children 1,000,000
February to November 2004 GOAL Emergency Assistance to Population in Kutum Province, North Darfur—through a combined Health, Nutrition and Shelter Intervention 575,963
March to December 2004 ACF Emergency Nutrition Programme in North Darfur 250,000
March to December 2004 WFP Emergency Distribution of Food Aid Commodities to Sudanese Refugees in North East Chad 1,000,000
March 2004 to January 2005 UNHCR Emergency Assistance to Sudanese Refugees in Eastern Chad 1,000,000
April 2004 to December 2004 OXFAM Public Health Humanitarian Response Darfur (Water/Sanitation Programme) 2,193,161
May 2004 to December 2004 WFP Emergency purchase and distribution of Food Aid for internally displaced Sudanese in Darfur 2,000,000
May 2004 to November 2004 WHO Emergency primary health care and response to communicable diseases in Darfur; support to measles vaccination programme 1,500,000
May 2004 to December 2004 UNICEF Additional support to humanitarian assistance for crisis in Darfur; emergency nutrition; emergency health care and the protection of children 1,500,000
May 2004 to July 2004 UNJLC Support to enable UNJLC to co-ordinate the logistics of an effective humanitarian response in Sudan 250,000
Total 16,910,493

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