asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their response to the estimates made by the International Organisation for Migration in its recent report on the number of displaced Iraqis and on the number of internally displaced Iraqis who do not receive government food rations, lack clean water and do not have access to the medications they require. [HL2767]

The UK Government remain concerned about the humanitarian situation in Iraq and the number of people who have been displaced from their homes. We have seen the International Organisation for Migration's (IOM) recent assessment that more than 5.1 million people are now displaced, of whom 2.7 million are displaced inside Iraq. The IOM also estimates that more than 75 per cent of internally displaced people do not have access to government food rations, nearly 20 per cent do not have access to clean water and 33 per cent cannot obtain the medicines they require. However, it remains difficult to obtain accurate data on the humanitarian situation in Iraq, and the figures quoted by humanitarian agencies vary. For example, UNHCR has recently reported that the total number of displaced Iraqis is around 4.4 million, of which 2.4 million are displaced inside Iraq.

Despite uncertainty about exact numbers, it is clear there are humanitarian needs in Iraq that have to be addressed. The Department for International Development is committed to playing its part and is working closely with the IOM, as well as UN agencies and the International Committee of the Red Cross, to ensure urgent needs are met. In March this year, DfID announced a further £15 million in humanitarian assistance for vulnerable Iraqis, including a £1.5 million contribution to the IOM. This money will support humanitarian operations, including efforts to fill the gaps in the Government's food distribution system, repair water and sanitation structures, and rehabilitate and strengthen health services and facilities. This latest package of support takes DfID's total humanitarian contributions for Iraq to £147 million since 2003.