Tag: humanitarian aid

Bishop of Leeds leads debate on the humanitarian situation in Sudan

On 27th November 2025, the Bishop of Leeds tabled a question for short debate on the humanitarian situation in Sudan:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the humanitarian situation in Sudan.

My Lords, I am very grateful to the Government for granting this debate at a very opportune time, with Lady Sandwich in the Gallery and a detailed report, Rivers of Blood, dedicated to the late Lord Sandwich, being delivered this morning to the APPG.

I thank the Minister for her commitment to addressing the urgent and long-term situation in Sudan, a country I love, where I have friends and which I have visited a number of times, most recently in June 2024. My concerns and engagement will continue after I retire from the House this afternoon, albeit in a different way. I note that the Order Paper says this is a valedictory speech, but I would be grateful if we kept our focus on Sudan.

The humanitarian situation in Sudan is so dire that “urgent” does not do justice to the need for action. I will not repeat the many reports from agencies engaged on the ground in Sudan, but they make for harrowing hearing and reading. A number have provided briefings in Parliament in the last few days. We had planned for the Archbishop of Sudan, Ezekiel Kondo, to be here today, but he had to return to Port Sudan a couple of days ago.

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Bishop of Southwark asks about humanitarian aid to Gaza

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 5th June 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning its responsibilities under international humanitarian law for access to food, water and medical supplies by the population of Gaza.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about humanitarian aid to South Sudan

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 2nd June 2025:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure the White Nile river remains open as a humanitarian supply corridor into Upper Nile in South Sudan.

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Bishop of Leeds, Bishop of St Albans, and Bishop of Winchester ask about conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Bishop of Leeds, the Bishop of St Albans, and the Bishop of Winchester received the following written answers on 12th April 2025:

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

  • what military support they are providing to the government of Rwanda for (1) training, (2) technology, (3) tactics, and (4) weapons licensing, and whether they have reviewed these arrangements following the support by the government of Rwanda for M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
  • what financial support, debt relief and development assistance they are providing to Rwanda, and what steps they will take to review these arrangements as a result of the support by the government of Rwanda for M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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Bishop of St Albans asks about impact of US foreign aid freeze on Rohingya refugees

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 31st March 2025:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the United States aid freeze on Rohingya refugees.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about provision of food aid to Malawi

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

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what is their response to the state of disaster declared due to the drought and resultant food shortages in Malawi, and whether they plan to provide additional aid to Malawi.

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Bishop of Leeds asks about provision of humanitarian aid to Sudan

The Bishop of Leeds received the following written answer on 23rd May 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to secure guarantees from Sudan’s warring parties for the safe and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance to conflict-affected populations.

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Bishop of Leeds asks about ramifications of ongoing conflict in Sudan

The Bishop of Leeds asked a question on international efforts to support civilians and avert a famine in Sudan on 16th May 2024, during a discussion on the ongoing conflict in the country:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, I note that I will be in Port Sudan in a couple of weeks’ time. Yesterday, I was at a round table on Sudan with NGOs and expatriates. The Raoul Wallenberg Centre made it clear in its research that there is genocidal intent behind much of what is going on in Darfur. The plea there was: how do we get international protection? We cannot say that we do not know this is coming. There is the perfect storm of famine as well as the massive artillery bombardment around El Fasher going on at the moment.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about humanitarian aid following potential Israeli offensive in Gaza

On 7th May 2024, the Bishop of St Albans asked a question on the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the provision of aid following news of a potential new offensive by Israeli forces:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty’s Government (1) what representations they are making to the Government of Israel in light of a potential new offensive by Israeli forces, and (2) what humanitarian aid and support of essential services they plan to provide to the region.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con, Foreign Office): My Lords, we want an end to the fighting as soon as possible. Well over six months since Hamas’s terror attack against Israel, it is appalling that hostages are still being held. Too many civilians are also dying in Gaza, and this weekend Hamas rockets killed four IDF soldiers and injured others. As we have said, the fastest way to end the conflict is to secure a deal which gets the hostages out and allows for a pause in the fighting in Gaza. It is then that we must turn that pause into a sustainable, permanent ceasefire.

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Bishop of Southwark asks about ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answers on 15th April 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken, together with allies, to persuade those holding Israeli citizens hostage in Gaza to release them without delay.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con, Foreign Office): The UK Government has been working with partners across the region to secure the release of hostages. The Foreign Secretary met with hostage families on 18 March, reaffirming the UK’s commitment to see the release of all hostages.

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