PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Migrant Camps: Hygiene (5 May 2020)

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has had with her international counterparts in the (a) G7, (b) G20, (c) UN and (d) World Health Organisation on the scaling up of WASH facilities available in refugee camps in (i) Greece, (ii) Turkey, and (iii) throughout the Middle East.

Asked by:
Anna McMorrin (Labour)

The UK is at the forefront of tackling forced displacement and supporting refugees around the world, including support to Syrian refugees in Turkey and the Middle East, most notably Jordan and Lebanon. We also continue to offer support to the Greek Government to alleviate pressure and deliver sustainable improvements in the Greek migration system.

To date, the UK has committed £744 million in the international fight against COVID-19. We are a key contributor to the UN Global Humanitarian Response Plan which aims to ensure support to the most vulnerable groups including refugees and other forcibly displaced populations. This includes significant support to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to help install hand-washing stations and isolation and treatment centres in refugee camps, and increase access to clean water for displaced people.

We are working closely with the UN, International Financial Institutions, global health multilaterals, and wider international system to push for a strong and coordinated global response to the crisis and to ensure the most vulnerable groups, including refugees, are not left behind. As part of this, there is regular Ministerial and senior official engagement with the G7, G20, World Bank Group and other Multilateral Development Banks, UN agencies, and bilateral partners.

Answered by:
Wendy Morton (Conservative)
12 May 2020