Humanitarian situation in Gaza

International Development Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 6 Nov 2023 Closed: 23 May 2024 Parliament page
Report and Government response published Since the Hamas terrorist atrocities of 7 October 2023, the International Development Committee has held three urgent evidence hearings in Parliament, and Members of the Committee recently returned from the aid logistics centre and hospital at Al-Arish in North Sinai where some badly injured Palestinian … Read more
11 Recommendations
14 Conclusions
1 Report
3 Oral sessions
10 Letters
3 Events
Activity timeline 18 events
8 May
2024
Report published
29 Apr
2024
Correspondence
29 Apr
2024
Correspondence
23 Apr
2024
Correspondence
23 Apr
2024
Correspondence
12 Mar
2024
Correspondence
12 Mar
2024
Correspondence
1 Mar
2024
Report published
27 Feb
2024
Oral evidence
27 Feb
2024
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
21 Feb
2024
Correspondence
17 Jan
2024
Correspondence
Oral evidence sessions 3 sessions
27 Feb 2024
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Humanitarian situation in Gaza
Dr Richard Brennan · World Health Organisation (WHO) Matthew Hollingworth · World Food Programme
9 Jan 2024
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Humanitarian situation in Gaza
Dr Ghada Al Jadba · United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Nebal Farsakh · Palestinian Red Crescent Society Rohan Talbot · Medical Aid for Palestinians
14 Nov 2023
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Humanitarian situation in Gaza
Melanie Ward · Medical Aid for Palestinians Sam Rose · United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Shaina Low · Norwegian Refugee Council Yasmine Ahmed · Human Rights Watch
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Second Report - Humanitarian situation in Gaza HC 110 1 Mar 2024 25 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
9 results
Clear
1 Conclusion Deferred
Second Report - Humanitarian situa…
Logistical and bureaucratic hurdles severely impede humanitarian aid delivery into Gaza.
Getting aid into Gaza is logistically unnecessarily difficult. There are multiple checks and at the time the Committee visited, it was taking 20–25 days for a truck to get from the Egyptian Red Crescent warehouse in Al Arish into Gaza, … Read more
Government Response
The government welcomed Israel's commitment to increase aid flow to 500 trucks a day and open Ashdod Port and Erez border crossing. It stated it continues to press Israel for further changes regarding humanitarian access, deconfliction, and aid worker safety.
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5 Conclusion Deferred
Second Report - Humanitarian situa…
Prioritise urgent discussions with Israel to improve deconfliction and increase security for aid workers.
The UK Government must prioritise urgent discussions with the Israeli authorities to speed up security and improve the deconfliction systems so that aid workers can operate more safely. The UK Government should lead discussions with the international community to increase … Read more
Government Response
The government deflected the recommendation, discussing Gaza's economic recovery and reconstruction planning with the World Bank and UN agencies, rather than addressing aid worker safety and deconfliction systems.
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6 Conclusion Deferred
Second Report - Humanitarian situa…
Significant mental health support will be required for Gaza's aid workers and population post-conflict.
Unfortunately, little can be done from the UK to support the mental health of aid workers at this time, but no one should lose sight of the scale of care that will be needed for these people - as well … Read more
Government Response
The government has offered to assist Egypt with its health system, including potentially deploying medical teams, and will carefully consider requests from Egypt's Ministry of Health. It does not directly commit to supporting the mental health of aid workers or the Gazan population.
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7 Conclusion Deferred
Second Report - Humanitarian situa…
Current border restrictions in Gaza render famine prevention impossible.
Current border restrictions will make it impossible to avert a famine. The state of desperation in Gaza has been emphasised to this Committee. Food is not getting through in anything close to the amounts needed. Lack of certainty of supply … Read more
Government Response
The government's response discusses the effectiveness and role of its MAP Hub in atrocity prevention within the FCDO, completely ignoring the recommendation about border restrictions and the looming famine in Gaza.
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8 Conclusion Deferred
Second Report - Humanitarian situa…
Increase massively food aid entering Gaza by opening more crossings and improving logistics systems.
Both of these issues would be lessened by a massive increase in food entering Gaza– flooding the market, as some aid workers have described it. Opening more crossings would allow more trucks to enter, but logistics systems must be improved … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees on the need for future recovery and reconstruction led by Palestinians and promises to work with allies to bolster the Palestinian Authority, but it does not address immediate actions to increase food entry into Gaza.
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9 Conclusion Deferred
Second Report - Humanitarian situa…
Prioritise averting famine by ensuring sufficient food aid reaches Gaza through streamlined entry and open crossings.
The UK Government must make it an absolute priority to avoid famine by getting sufficient amounts of food aid into Gaza, as measured by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). This will give certainty to the population there, which … Read more
Government Response
The government deflected the recommendation, stating it supports a World Bank, UN, and EU damage and needs assessment for reconstruction planning and is considering various forms of support for economic recovery, rather than addressing specific actions to increase food aid and streamline entry.
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10 Conclusion Deferred
Second Report - Humanitarian situa…
Pressure Israel to allow safe entry and delivery of commercial goods into Gaza.
Commercial vehicles have always formed a vital part of supplies to Gaza. The UK Government must put pressure on Israel to allow commercial goods to enter and be delivered to Gaza safely to supplement other resources.
Government Response
The government's response focuses on supporting social and psycho-social recovery for Gazans, empowering local actors, considering cash payments, and offering support from its Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative, without addressing the recommendation to pressure Israel to allow commercial goods into Gaza.
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15 Conclusion Deferred
Second Report - Humanitarian situa…
FCDO must revisit previous report to improve the OCSM atrocity prevention hub.
In its previous report, this Committee welcomed the Government’s introduction of the Office for Conflict, Stabilisation and Mediation (OCSM) with a hub to consider atrocity prevention. However, it seems that this hub has not met its promise. The FCDO should … Read more
Government Response
The government's response focuses on the importance of protecting healthcare workers and facilities in Gaza and ensuring effective deconfliction, entirely sidestepping the recommendation to improve the OCSM hub for atrocity prevention.
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21 Recommendation Deferred
Second Report - Humanitarian situa…
Push for rapid UNRWA governance improvements to restore UK and international funding swiftly.
This Committee understands that the UK Government wants to see UNRWA improve its governance and then return to receiving funding for its work in Gaza. The UK Government must push for this to happen quickly, both so that UK funding … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with UNRWA's vital role but states it paused funding due to allegations and is awaiting the outcome of UN investigations and careful consideration of reports. The UK will set out its position on future UNRWA funding only after this process, rather than actively pushing for quick resumption now.
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Government Response AI assessment · 25 of 11 classified
Accepted 5
Accepted in Part 2
Acknowledged 9
Deferred 9
Total 11 recs + 14 conclusions
Correspondence 10 letters
29 Apr 2024 Correspondence to the Foreign Secretary relating to Funding for UNRWA - 25 April 2024
Parliament page
29 Apr 2024 Correspondence from the Foreign Secretary relating to Funding for UNRWA - 29 April 2024
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23 Apr 2024 Correspondence from the Foreign Secretary relating to the Shortages of medical supplies in Egypt - 26 March 2024
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23 Apr 2024 Correspondence to the Foreign Secretary relating to the Shortages of medical supplies in Egypt - 4 March 2024
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12 Mar 2024 Correspondence to the Foreign Secretary regarding the protection of humanitarian personnel in Gaza - 1 February 2024
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12 Mar 2024 Correspondence from the Foreign Secretary regarding the protection of humanitarian personnel in Gaza - 26 February 2024
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21 Feb 2024 Correspondence from the Foreign Secretary regarding the Healthcare situation in Gaza - 31 January 2024
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17 Jan 2024 Correspondence to the Foreign Secretary regarding the Healthcare situation in Gaza - 17 January 2024
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5 Dec 2023 Correspondence from the Foreign Secretary regarding the humanitarian situation in Gaza - 5 December 2023
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16 Nov 2023 Correspondence to the Foreign Secretary regarding the humanitarian situation in Gaza - 16 November 2023
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