Gaza: Humanitarian Aid
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of whether the delivery of aid to Gaza compiles with the UNHCR's Humanitarian principles, as endorsed UN General Assembly resolutions 46/182 and 58/114; and whether he has made representations to his international counterparts that such aid is delivered only through (a) UN and (b) international humanitarian agencies.
Answered by Mr Hamish Falconer
As I told the House on 14 May, Israel's denial of aid is appalling. Israel must lift the block on aid entering Gaza now and enable the UN and all humanitarians to save lives. In our statement to the UN Security Council on 13 May, we made clear that the UK will not support any aid mechanism that seeks to deliver political or military objectives or puts vulnerable civilians at risk. Humanitarian partners such as the UN and humanitarian Non-Governmental Organisations must be allowed to operate in line with their principles. Baroness Chapman met with the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini on 12 May where she reiterated our support for the organisation and its critical role in delivering desperately needed aid and services to Palestinians.
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