Lord Benyon, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL3650):
Question by Lord Alton of Liverpool :
To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the warning by Médecins Sans Frontières of a critical vaccine shortage in Darfur, and what steps they are taking in response. (HL3650)
Tabled on: 27 March 2024
Answer:
Lord Benyon:
We are concerned by reports of critical vaccine shortages in Darfur. The UK continues to provide support to the health sector in Sudan through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Sudan Humanitarian Fund (SHF). We are also supporting Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, in their essential work to improve access to vaccines for the world’s most vulnerable children. However, access constraints and insecurity are limiting the ability of partners to deliver in many areas, including Darfur. We continue to work with the UN, other donors and trusted partners to improve and increase the delivery of aid across Sudan. The Minister for Development and Africa met Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) on the Sudan/Chad border in late March and saw the vital work on vaccinations performed there.
Date and time of answer: 15 Apr 2024 at 12:00.
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Lord Benyon, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL3649):
Question by Lord Alton of Liverpool:
To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the estimate by the General Coordination of Camps for the Displaced and Refugees in Sudan that over 560 children have died from malnutrition during the last 11 months of the war in that country, and of UNICEF’s prediction that 700,000 Sudanese children will suffer severe malnutrition in 2024, and what steps they are taking in response. (HL3649)
Tabled on: 27 March 2024
Answer:
Lord Benyon:
We remain a committed donor to Sudan and provided £42.6 million in humanitarian aid to support people there in 2023-2024, including £12.2 million to UNICEF for lifesaving nutrition activities. In this new financial year, UK bilateral ODA to Sudan will nearly double to £89 million. Funding for South Sudan was increased to £7.75 million, which includes £3.5 million for food security in the Maban refugees camps. The lack of humanitarian access continues to make it extremely difficult for humanitarian organisations to provide the necessary levels of assistance. On 8 March, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2724, led by the UK, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Sudan during the month of Ramadan and underlining the urgency of humanitarian access. We condemn the fact that the warring parties have not heeded this Resolution.
Date and time of answer: 15 Apr 2024 at 11:59.
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Lord Benyon, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL3647):
Question by Lord Alton of Liverpool:
To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports from UNICEF that the 2023–24 El Niño phenomenon has led to the closure of schools in South Sudan. (HL3647)
Tabled on: 27 March 2024
Answer:
Lord Benyon:
The El Niño phenomenon exacerbates regional climate patterns and extreme weather events. Last month, excessive heat caused the temporary closure of some schools in South Sudan. The UK is one of the largest donors to education in South Sudan: we engage closely with the government, UNICEF, and education partners and will monitor the impact of interruptions to education. Our Humanitarian Assistance and Resilience in South Sudan programme has assisted approximately three million people by providing critical life-saving support and helping people to better cope with shocks from conflict, drought and flooding.
Date and time of answer: 15 Apr 2024 at 11:57.
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Lord Benyon, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL3645):
Question by Lord Alton of Liverpool:
To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the prolonged heatwave and drought on eastern and southern Africa, in particular on children, and what steps they are taking in response. (HL3645)
Tabled on: 27 March 2024
Answer:
Lord Benyon:
We closely monitor climatic conditions in Africa – including recent drought conditions in parts of Eastern and Southern Africa, where over 80 million people are experiencing crisis levels of food insecurity. In 2023 the UK was the 4th largest bilateral donor to humanitarian appeals in sub-Saharan Africa. Our programmes in the region are directly tackling food insecurity and poor access to safe water, in order to improve the nutritional and health status of children. The UK is also raising the profile of humanitarian needs with our international partners, maintaining a focus on the need for long-term solutions to climate related crises in the region, including drought.
Date and time of answer: 15 Apr 2024 at 11:50.
