Bishop of Bristol expresses strong concern over conflict in Gaza and calls for political leaders to work for peace

The Bishop of Bristol spoke in a debate on the current humanitarian situation in Gaza on 8th February 2024, expressing concern about the rejection of a proposed ceasefire and the impact of total war on civilians:

The Lord Bishop of Bristol: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Baroness for securing this debate. Today the future seems bleak after Prime Minister Netanyahu, perhaps understandably, rejected a ceasefire because, as reported, total victory may be achieved in months. In my city of Bristol, women from Jewish and Muslim communities stand silently together in public vigil, and those of all faiths and none march each week campaigning for a cessation of violence on all sides.

Total victory within months—what does that mean for the hostages held in tunnels, for the women who are pregnant without medical support, for babies whose mothers have no breast milk? What we see is a horrible inversion of the word of the prophet Joel: the dreams of old men are shattered and the visions of young men are betrayed. The hopes of so many Jews, Muslims and Christians are destroyed. May God and our political leaders have mercy, source aid and work unrelentingly for peace.

Hansard

Bishop of Norwich calls for resourcing of medics and hospitals to address humanitarian situation in Gaza

The Bishop of Norwich spoke in a debate on the situation in Gaza on 8th February 2024, asking that the government give greater support to medics in Gaza and Israel to facilitate resupplying of hospitals in order to address the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza strip:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, I visited Gaza on 4 October, just three days before Hamas’s evil attacks, to see the Anglican-run 80-bed al-Ahli hospital. The World Health Organization reported on Tuesday that there are 150 patients there—all are critically ill. Everyone is fearful, stressed and exhausted. Medical staff have been detained, shackled and blindfolded by the IDF, and, on release, they are deposited in Rafah and not allowed to return to the hospital. There is an urgent need for medical staff, fuel, food and critical medical supplies, such as bone stabilisers, antibiotics and anaesthetics, across Gaza’s hospitals. Will His Majesty’s Government hear the cries of medics in Gaza and press the State of Israel for the WHO to have sustained access to resupply hospitals across the Gaza Strip so that they can continue to function?

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Bishop of Durham asks about tensions between Burundi & Rwanda

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 8th February 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the border closure and the deteriorating relations between Rwanda and Burundi; and what steps they are taking to help prevent tension in the region from further escalating.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about delivery of food vouchers to Rohingya refugees

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 7th February 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government whether they will consider increasing their funding for the World Food Programme to enable the Programme to restore its monthly food vouchers for Rohingya refugees to the full value of 12.50 US dollars.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about UK efforts to help resolve the Rohingya refugee crisis

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 5th February 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked  His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking, in their capacity as penholder for Myanmar at the UN Security Council, to help find solutions to the Rohingya refugee crisis, and particularly to create the conditions necessary for safe, dignified, and voluntary repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about rebel groups in Democratic Republic of Congo

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 30th January 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the launch of the new Congolese rebel group known as Alliance Fleuve Congo and the consequences for relations between the East African Community and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about human rights abuses in Xinjiang, China

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 29th January 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government:

  • what discussions they have had with counterparts in other governments about taking action to impose targeted sanctions on Chinese officials involved in human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
  •  what representations they have made to the government of China regarding the treatment of Uighurs and other Turkic people in Xinjiang.
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Bishop of St Albans asks about protection of religious and cultural sites in Nagorno-Karabakh

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 29th January 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the protection of religious and cultural sites in Nagorno-Karabakh, and what representations they are making to the government of Azerbaijan in this regard.

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Bishop of Worcester asks about efforts to uphold international humanitarian law in Israel-Gaza conflict

The Bishop of Worcester received the following written answer on 25th January 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Worcester asked His Majesty’s Government:

  • what steps they are taking to ensure that (1) international humanitarian law is upheld in Gaza, and (2) civilians are protected there.
  • what assessment they have made of whether international humanitarian law is being respected in the war in Gaza.
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Bishop of St Albans asks about delivery of railway infrastructure in developing countries

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 24th January 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to draw on academic expertise to help deliver financially sustainable rail infrastructure in developing countries.

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