Sarah Champion (Rotherham) (Lab) I beg to move, That this House has
considered peace, security and development in the Middle East and
the role of the UN Relief and Works Agency. Thank you for chairing
this session, Ms McVey; it is always a pleasure to serve under your
guidance. At the end of last year, I met the commissioner-general
of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, Philippe Lazzarini,
who was in London for his first official UK visit. UNRWA is
the...Request free trial
(Rotherham) (Lab)
I beg to move,
That this House has considered peace, security and development in
the Middle East and the role of the UN Relief and Works
Agency.
Thank you for chairing this session, Ms McVey; it is always a
pleasure to serve under your guidance.
At the end of last year, I met the commissioner-general of the
United Nations Relief and Works Agency, Philippe Lazzarini, who
was in London for his first official UK visit. UNRWA is the UN
agency that helps millions of Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the
west bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, providing them with
humanitarian and developmental services. I have seen at first
hand its work helping Palestinian refugees in the Occupied
Palestinian Territories. I am hugely grateful for what it does,
and I do not doubt that it is a good example of Foreign,
Commonwealth and Development Office money being well spent.
(Harrow West) (Lab/Co-op)
My hon. Friend is making an extremely good point. Although I have
not had the privilege of meeting the commissioner-general of
UNRWA recently, I know that it does hugely important work in
helping to reduce poverty and to prevent, as much as it can,
hunger and joblessness in the Palestinian territories. Does she
agree that UNRWA’s finances should be a continuing source of
worry? It often struggles to get the funding it needs, so would
it not be good to hear the Minister say that she and the Foreign
Secretary will lead an international process to try to ensure
that UNRWA has the resources it needs?
I very much welcome my hon. Friend’s intervention, which
pre-empts what I am about to say. I completely agree that a
stable funding base is needed, and let us hope that he has also
predicted what the Minister will say, because he is absolutely
right: this requires ministerial leadership. I know the Minister
well, and I know that if she is able to give that, then she will,
so let us keep that hope for the next 20 minutes.
There is no doubt that the plight of Palestinian refugees is both
tragic and a recurring obstacle in the search for a two-state
solution. Established in 1949, UNRWA has an important role to
play in providing much needed education, healthcare and social
services for the Palestinian people. Its original mandate—to
provide humanitarian and development goals, pending a just and
lasting solution—clearly still remains unfulfilled. In order to
meet its goals and support two states for two people, which is
the UK’s and the international community’s long-standing
position, UNRWA must receive the funds it needs.
UNRWA is unique, in that it effectively offers state-like
services in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Jordan, Lebanon
and Syria, but relies on voluntary contributions, including
donations by the UK, to educate hundreds of thousands of
children, support the poorest, and take care of the sick and
injured. Throughout 2021, despite the challenges presented by
covid, UNRWA managed to maintain quality primary healthcare
services for 1.9 million Palestinian refugees, which included
over 7 million in-person and telemedicine consultations, as well
as further care at UNRWA-contracted hospitals. UNRWA provides
essential healthcare, particularly for the 87,000 pregnant women
relying on antenatal care, which is critical for the safe
delivery of newborn babies and the health of their mothers. UNRWA
delivers its services at the maximum of its available budget, but
because of understaffing, doctors can spend only three minutes
with each patient, and after two years of covid, health services
are severely strained.
In 2021, UNRWA provided education for over half a million
children, nearly 400,000 people benefitted from social safety net
assistance, including cash and food, and 8,000 young people
accessed technical and vocational education and training. On his
visit to the UK, Mr Lazzarini explained to me how he believes his
organisation is providing hope in a region beleaguered by
conflict. What he told me about the work of UNRWA was sometimes
harrowing, but he also shared many inspiring examples, such as
Loay Elbasyouni, who attended UNRWA schools and was part of the
master team that developed the Mars rover, Perseverance.
Following years of cuts to its funding, the financial crisis
faced by UNRWA means not only that it runs the risk of not being
able to pay salaries, but that its installations, car fleet and
computers are in such a state of disarray that its delivery of
services is put at risk and the integrity of its staffing
threatened. That is despite reforms promoted by Governments,
including the UK Government, in exchange for financial support
that has made UNRWA more efficient.
Since 2018, the UK’s support for UNRWA has decreased by nearly
60% from approximately £70.3 million to £28.6 million. In the
last year alone, UK-funded support for UNRWA’s core budget has
been cut in half, from approximately £42.5 million in 2020 to
£20.8 million in 2021, while the UK’s funding for UNRWA’s
emergency humanitarian work in Syria was cut from £7 million in
2020 to zero in 2021. The UK has yet to make any contribution to
UNRWA for 2022.
(High Peak) (Con)
The hon. Member is talking about education and bringing hope to
the region. She will be aware that in its education work and the
schools it runs in the west bank and Gaza, UNRWA uses the
official Palestinian Authority curriculum. Does she share my
concerns that the European Union review found that textbooks on
that curriculum contain a number of examples of extensive
antisemitism and incitement to violence? Does she agree that the
Government are right to take a position of zero tolerance on
antisemitism?
I agree with the hon. Gentleman on some of that, and I will go
into a little detail. Of course we should have zero tolerance of
antisemitism. We should have zero tolerance of any form of hate
crime. I have no reason to doubt the criticism contained in the
Georg Eckert Institute review of the Palestinian Authority
textbooks, and I believe action has been taken as a result of the
report.
To quote the then Minister, the right hon. Member for Braintree
() said in response to a
written question last January:
“UNRWA has a robust review system of each host country’s
textbooks to ensure education in its schools reflects the values
and principles of the UN.”
I am sure that the hon. Member for High Peak () reads the House of Commons
Library’s updates on international news. Today it published that
the EU has resumed funding UNRWA in full, based on its research
on the textbooks he mentioned. I understand the hon. Gentleman’s
concerns, but the evidence points to that issue having now been
resolved. Of course, no agency is perfect, and I will come on to
that.
(Strangford) (DUP)
I congratulate the hon. Lady on her tenacity and all she does
speaking for those who are oppressed and disadvantaged. Does she
agree that the role of the UN as an impartial agency is vital and
that all steps must be taken to ensure its neutrality from top to
toe? Does she agree that its staff should be careful about the
expression of their personal opinions, which can be detrimental
to those who need help but feel excluded by UN workers because of
a perceived bias?
My friend, the hon. Gentleman has wise words. I am proud to be
the MP for Rotherham and to be the Chair of the Select Committee
on International Development. We have done a lot of inquiries on
the subject of UN practice—on sexual exploitation by its staff,
on misuse of funds and on racism in the sector. In such a vast
organisation, of course there will be some rotten apples, but
when those failings are highlighted it is inexcusable that they
are not rooted out and safety measures put in so that such issues
never happen again. As the hon. Member rightly says, one rotten
apple taints the whole barrel. The UN does amazing work, but it
is a big organisation and some people feel emboldened to make
ridiculous personal comments that damage everybody.
The British Council, which recently signed a co-operation
agreement with UNRWA, has granted the British Council’s
international school awards to 80 UNRWA schools during the past
two years, with many others having gained this recognition
previously. The World Bank has confirmed that UNRWA students are
on average one year ahead of their peers in public schools in the
region. MOPAN—the Multilateral Organisation Performance
Assessment Network—of which the UK is a member, recognises that
UNRWA is a “competent, resilient and resolute” organisation.
UNRWA was created more than 70 years ago by the United Nations
General Assembly. The UK voted in favour of its formation and has
since approved the renewal of UNRWA’s mandate every three years.
In establishing UNRWA, the UN General Assembly recognised that
continued assistance for the relief of the Palestinian refugees
was necessary
“to further conditions of peace and stability”.
UNRWA has carried out multitudes of positive work in the middle
east in the absence of a political solution between the Israelis
and the Palestinians. It has already educated more than 2 million
children, and today creates significant livelihood opportunities
through its construction projects throughout the middle east.
UNRWA’s provision of human development services and humanitarian
relief provides an anchor of stability in a troubled region.
Of the nearly 6 million Palestinian refugees living in the middle
east, more than 2.6 million live in poverty. As the number of
refugees falling into poverty continues to rise, UNRWA faces
increased demands on its services. Refugees are increasingly
reliant on UNRWA for the education of their children, their
health and their livelihood.
(Central Suffolk and North Ipswich) (Con)
As the hon. Lady highlights, we on the International Development
Committee have investigated these issues. She has rightly
highlighted key problems in Palestine, but, more generally, some
of the cuts to the aid budget, particularly to health and
education, were arbitrary and have had a real impact on people’s
lives. Can we urge the Minister to look again at some of those
decisions?
I fully support my fellow Committee member and thank him for
repeatedly raising his concerns about this issue. The forthcoming
budget that goes alongside the development strategy is due in the
next month, and it very much seems that global health will be the
biggest casualty. The concerns that he raises are right. There
does not seem to be a joined-up strategy on the impact of the
cuts. If the Minister could outline that, it would help us all to
understand the Government’s logic.
The impact of UNRWA breaking down because of donors such as the
UK continuing to significantly decrease or stop its funding is
unimaginable. Have the Government considered the consequences for
millions of people in the middle east if the cuts cause
significant reductions in UNRWA’s services? UNRWA has the
expertise; it has proven effectiveness and can provide its
services much cheaper than any other UN agency. Let me be frank:
if people are left with no healthcare, no education and no job,
what does the Minister think will happen to them?
The world already has a formidable tool to provide support to
people in the form of UNRWA. Why would we want to weaken our own
investment in it to the point of hundreds of thousands of people
feeling they have no future? More needs to be done to work with
the organisation. Of course, as we have outlined, UNRWA is not
perfect—nothing is—but the Government’s cuts are threatening its
capability to deliver support to a vulnerable population in the
middle east. We need to maintain trusted relations with the
people of Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and Lebanon. Palestinian
refugees are a key constituency for peace in the region in terms
of their number, socio-political relevance, and the refugees’
personal stake in the search for a lasting solution.
Without UNRWA, we risk destabilising the region further and
emboldening those who do not share our belief that the best way
to bring peace and stability to the region is through a political
resolution to the conflict. The millions of people who access
UNRWA’s services would be forced to turn elsewhere to survive. If
we are to remain committed to our vision of two states, surely we
should provide support to UNRWA, which has proved itself a
reliable partner by which the international community can address
the refugee constituency. Although it is non-political, UNRWA’s
presence and role have been recognised as having significant
implications for regional security and stability.
The Prime Minister has consistently highlighted that girls’
education is his top priority for UK aid. UNRWA directly supports
that objective by operating one of the largest school systems in
the middle east and providing primary education to over a half a
million students, 50% of whom are girls. Gender parity in school
enrolment was obtained in the early 1960s at UNRWA schools—long
before any other country in the region. UNRWA is providing
government-like services such as elementary and preparatory
education, and, through that commitment to sustainable
development goal 4, is playing its role as a major contributor to
the 2030 SDG agenda.
It is clear that UNRWA is essential for the stability of that
volatile and fragile region, so will the Minister explain the
substantial cuts in UK funding to UNRWA, despite Ministers
telling the House for years how excellent UNRWA’s services are?
Why are the Government slashing funding to this essential and
efficient organisation? Will the Government carry out an analysis
of the impact of the funding cuts on UNRWA? Is there any plan to
reinstate our financial support to previous levels, and what
discussions has the Minister had with other potential donors to
encourage them to back UNRWA? If the UK cannot or will not
sufficiently support UNRWA, we have to ask: do we not have a
responsibility towards these people? Is not stability in the
middle east what we are aiming for, and why are we not doing all
we can to achieve it?
4.17pm
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign,
Commonwealth and Development Affairs ()
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms McVey. I am
grateful to the hon. Member for Rotherham () for securing the debate,
and for the work that she does as Chair of her important
Committee. I thank her and other hon. Members, who have made
insightful contributions. I will try to respond to as many of the
points raised as possible.
The UK and the Government are long-standing supporters of UNRWA,
and value the vital role it plays as a humanitarian service and a
stabilising force in the region. In 2021, we provided the agency
with over £27 million of support, including £4.9 million to the
flash appeal that it launched following the Gaza conflict in May.
Our annual contribution helps UNRWA to provide education to more
than 530,000 children every year, and helps 3.5 million
Palestinian refugees to access critical health services. Our
support to the flash appeal for Gaza helped to promote
life-saving aid in the aftermath of the conflict. We recognise
that UNRWA needs to be on a more secure financial footing to
ensure that Palestinian refugees’ basic needs continue to be met,
and that it can play a full role in supporting regional
stability. We are working with UNRWA, other donors and host
countries to help ensure its sustainability in the years to
come.
The hon. Member for Harrow West () asked whether there would be
a pledging conference. The UK will be supporting and attending
the pledging conference in New York on 23 June, which is a week
tomorrow. I cannot say any more in advance of that, but I know
that hon. Members will all be pleased to hear that we will be
there, and we are encouraging other donors to step up.
Will the Minister give way?
I will take questions at the end, because there is quite a lot
that I would like to say. If I have time, I will take the hon.
Gentleman’s intervention later.
UNRWA’s essential work is focused not only on the Occupied
Palestinian Territories; it also supports vulnerable Palestinian
refugees in Lebanon and across the region with essential
services, including basic education and healthcare. Some £7
million of our UNRWA contribution in the 2020-21 financial year
went to UNRWA’s regional emergency appeal in Syria and Jordan,
which has helped to provide humanitarian assistance to more than
450,000 vulnerable Palestinian refugees in those countries. The
final status of Palestinian refugees must be agreed as part of
wider peace negotiations. Until that time, I confirm that the UK
remains firmly committed to supporting Palestinian refugees
through UNRWA, and the other valuable work that UNRWA does in the
region.
My hon. Friend the Member for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich
(Dr Poulter) asked how aid is being allocated post the decision
to reduce official development assistance from 0.7% to 0.5%. It
was a challenging decision to make, but we must recall the
massive impact the global pandemic has had on the UK’s own
finances. It is a temporary decision, and the Chancellor has set
out the methodology by which we would return to 0.7%. I suggest
my hon. Friend looks at the international development strategy
that we published a few weeks ago, which brings together our key
global priorities for the allocation of ODA, in particular
bringing back humanitarian aid and girls’ education—both of
which, as the hon. Member for Rotherham pointed out, are key for
UNRWA.
Dr Poulter
rose—
rose—
I said I would not take interventions until the end, but now I
will take both.
I am grateful to the hon. Member for Central Suffolk and North
Ipswich (Dr Poulter) for provoking the Minister to giving way to
me. It is good to hear that a pledging conference is taking place
and that Britain continues to work with other nations to help
secure longer-term funding for UNRWA. Can the Minister say
specifically whether there will be ministerial representation
from the UK at that pledging conference, as that might give our
nations some confidence to pledge significant sums of money,
given Britain’s record of support to UNRWA?
I cannot confirm that at this stage, but I can confirm that my
right hon. Friend, the Minister for Asia and the Middle East, who
covers this territory, is very focused on the issue.
Dr Poulter
I thank the Minister for giving way. I think we all accept the
challenges the pandemic has caused for finances in this country
and more generally. The Committee recently heard from the Foreign
Secretary and some of the permanent secretaries, who were unable
to provide details on reductions to in-year funding. It would be
helpful if the Minister could confirm that education and
healthcare funding will be prioritised.
As I said, the international development strategy talks clearly
about our key priorities. One priority is women and girls, within
which is girls’ education, which is key to driving development
and change. There is also access to women’s healthcare, which is
a key part of the women and girls strategy. I spend a lot of my
time travelling around different countries and looking at some of
the amazing work we have done to support access to women’s
healthcare and humanitarian aid.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire. Alongside our support
of UNRWA and our bilateral programmes, the UK provided £2 million
to UNICEF in 2021 to help feed and clothe vulnerable people and
ensure that children can continue their education, keeping the
hope of a better life alive.
We continue to stress to the Israeli authorities that
restrictions on movement, access and trade for the people of Gaza
are damaging the lives of ordinary Palestinians. As I will say
again and again, we urge all parties to drive for a durable
solution for Gaza and take the necessary practical steps to
ensure Gaza’s reconstruction and economic recovery. We welcome
the continued engagement between the Israeli Government and the
Palestinian Authority on economic matters, but urge more rapid
progress.
Improving the economic situation in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories remains a priority for the UK, so in addition to our
support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, the UK
Government have funded a number of development programmes in the
occupied territories that work to preserve the prospect of a
negotiated two-state solution, as the hon. Member for Rotherham
pointed out, and to improve the lives of Palestinians throughout
the west bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. A key part of this work
is building the capacity of the Palestinian Authority to provide
essential services, and the basis for a future Palestinian
state.
We continue to work with the Palestinian Authority to reform its
security sector, and strengthen its financial management,
including revenue collection and enhancing transparency and
accountability. Through our programmes, we are improving
electricity and water infrastructure across the west bank and
Gaza, and helping to improve conditions for trade and exports;
there is a wide variety of issues.
My hon. Friend the Member for High Peak () mentioned the issue of
educational textbooks. We urge the Palestinian Authority to
remove problematic content from its textbooks. We have robust
conversations with the highest levels of the Palestinian
leadership, challenging them on the need to prepare their
population for peace, including by promoting a positive portrayal
of others. We have zero tolerance for all forms of incitement to
violence or antisemitism. It is worth pointing out that the UK
does not fund textbooks in the OPTs.
The situation on the ground demonstrates the need to accelerate
progress towards peace, which is one of the reasons that the
conference has been called next week. We remain committed to the
two-state solution as the best way to bring peace and stability
to the region. We support a negotiated settlement, leading to a
safe and secure Israel living alongside a viable and sovereign
Palestinian state, based on the 1967 borders with agreed land
swaps, Jerusalem as the shared capital of both sides, and a just,
fair, agreed and realistic settlement for refugees.
We firmly believe in a just and lasting resolution that ends the
occupation and delivers peace for both Israelis and Palestinians.
It is long overdue. We will continue to press both parties on the
need to refrain from taking actions that make peace more
difficult to attain. We call on all parties to abide by
international humanitarian law and to promote peace, stability
and security.
We are deeply concerned about the fragile security situation in
the west bank and Jerusalem, and look to all parties to take
urgent steps to de-escalate tensions.
I am grateful for all the Minister is saying. I know she is going
as far as she can today. I hope that whoever goes to the pledging
conference will take their chequebook with them because, to be
honest, money counts. I hear what she is saying about stability
and the robust conversations she is having with all sides. Will
the Government go as far as they have gone with regard to the
Russian invasion and start imposing sanctions, if they see
international law being broken?
The hon. Lady raises a number of questions. On going with our
chequebook, it is important to say that we remain key supporters
of UNRWA. I cannot say any more at this time. We have limited
amounts of money. We set out in the international development
strategy how we want to prioritise. That will mean difficult
decisions—we cannot do everything—but it is vital that we
continue to try to prioritise as best as we can, and that we
continue to support the UK economy in its recovery so that we get
back to 0.7%.
We believe that honest and open discussions, rather than imposing
sanctions or supporting anti-Israeli boycotts, best support our
efforts to get progress on peace and on getting a negotiated
solution. We were totally appalled by the recent terror attacks
in Israel. We condemn them in the strongest possible terms, and
reaffirm that our thoughts are with the victims and their
families. We will engage with Israeli and Palestinian leaders to
support co-operation on building stability and economic
development. I look forward to any news coming out of New York
next Thursday.
|
