Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

RAF Aid Flights to the Middle East

Monday 20 November 2023 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • RAF has airlifted 51 tonnes of aid to Egypt since the crisis in Gaza began.
  • The discrepancy in aid delivery to Gaza compared to Turkey and Syria is due to the war zone conditions in Gaza.
  • Hamas restrictions and the complexity of the Rafah crossing pose significant challenges in delivering aid into Gaza.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Janet Daby Lab Lewisham East
Defence
Context

The MP is concerned about the insufficient number of RAF aid flights delivering humanitarian support to Gaza.

Question

What steps he is taking to increase the number of RAF aid flights to the middle east. For more than a month we have witnessed a distressing humanitarian disaster unfolding in Gaza. It is welcome that the RAF is flying UK humanitarian aid to the region, but so far we have seen only three RAF flights. When will the Government increase the number of flights and the amount of aid given to Palestinians, who have suffered so much and who deserve, at the very least, the basic essentials to try to survive?

Answer from Grant Shapps

Defence assets continue to be ready to supply humanitarian support to the region. As the hon. Gentleman knows, the delivery of aid is impeded by the many challenges around Gaza, but so far we have airlifted 51 tonnes of aid to Egypt. The issue is not getting the aid to the region; we could fly more aircraft. The problem is getting the aid into Gaza itself, and in that regard we have the problem of Hamas, a terrorist organisation not in the least bit interested in looking after the citizens of Gaza, and, of course, the problem of the Rafah crossing, which is opened and closed on a fairly arbitrary basis. However, I can assure the hon. Lady that we are working very hard with all the different bodies and Governments in the region to get more of that aid in as quickly as possible.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The MP specifically asked about increasing RAF flights and aid amounts; however, the answer focused on obstacles rather than a concrete plan or timeline for increasing these efforts.

How: Working Very Hard With All The Different Bodies And Governments In The Region

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Q2 Tan Dhesi Lab Slough
Ukraine Foreign Affairs
Context

Following an earthquake in Turkey and Syria, nearly 100 tonnes of RAF aid was delivered within two weeks. In contrast, only 50 tonnes has been delivered by the RAF since the Israel-Hamas war began a month ago.

Question

Why, within two weeks of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, nearly 100 tonnes of aid was delivered there, yet since the Israel-Hamas war broke out more than a month ago, only 50 tonnes has been delivered by the RAF? Can the Secretary of State explain why this discrepancy exists?

Answer from Grant Shapps

The difference is a war zone. When I said that we had delivered “to the country”, I meant, of course, to Egypt. From there we have to get the aid across the Rafah crossing, which, for all the reasons of complexity, is not always open or available. There are many restrictions to getting that aid in, but I am working very hard on that. The problem is not a lack of resource; we have put in £30 million, more than doubling the existing £27 million, and I can assure the hon. Gentleman that there are further flights leaving later this month.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The MP asked about the discrepancy in aid delivery between Turkey/Syria and Gaza; however, the answer focused on obstacles rather than providing a concrete comparison or plan for equalizing efforts.

How: Working Very Hard On That

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Q3 Janet Daby Lab Lewisham East
Asylum & Refugees
Context

The MP is concerned about the insufficient number of RAF aid flights delivering humanitarian support to Gaza.

Question

When will the Government increase the number of flights and the amount of aid given to Palestinians, who have suffered so much and who deserve, at the very least, the basic essentials to try to survive?

Answer from Grant Shapps

The issue is not getting the aid to the region; we could fly more aircraft. The issue is getting the aid into Gaza itself, and in that regard we have the problem of Hamas, a terrorist organisation not in the least bit interested in looking after the citizens of Gaza, and, of course, the problem of the Rafah crossing, which is opened and closed on a fairly arbitrary basis. However, I can assure the hon. Lady that we are working very hard with all the different bodies and Governments in the region to get more of that aid in as quickly as possible.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The MP specifically asked for a timeline on increasing flights and aid amounts; however, the answer focused on obstacles rather than providing a concrete plan or timeline.

How: Working Very Hard With All The Different Bodies And Governments In The Region

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