Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee Supplementary Budget Estimates 2015, 22 October 2015
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Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee Supplementary Budget Estimates 2015, 22 October 2015 QUESTIONS ON NOTICE/IN WRITING Question No 1 Program: DFAT Topic: Syria - humanitarian assistance Question on Notice Page: 6 Senator Dastyari Question In a table, provide a breakdown of our total humanitarian contribution to Syria and Iraq ($230 million) in 2015-2016. Without going into specific detail, which partners has the contribution been allocated to and what has it provided assistance to? Answer SYRIA Partner Funding Details United Nations High $60 million Support to refugees and host communities in Syria’s Commissioner for Refugees (includes neighbouring countries, including registration and protection, (UNHCR) $20 million providing emergency supplies and shelter. Includes education in FY2015- and psychosocial support through the No Lost Generation 16) strategy in Jordan. International Humanitarian $38 million Food assistance, household kits, emergency medical Organisations (includes $7 assistance and medical supplies to affected communities in Undisclosed for security million in Syria, including in response to the polio outbreak in 2014. reasons FY2015-16) World Food Programme $30 million Food assistance delivered inside Syria and the region. (WFP) (includes $4 million in FY2015-16) United Nations Children's $26 million Access to clean water for people in Syria and immunisation of Fund (includes $3 25 million children across the region. Education, protection (UNICEF) million in programs and psychosocial support for children inside Syria FY2015-16) and neighbouring countries. Includes support through the No Lost Generation strategy in Lebanon. Australian NGOs $13 million Assist refugees and host communities in Jordan and Lebanon through CARE, Oxfam, Caritas, Save the Children and World Vision. This comprises $6.4 million to Jordan and $6.6 million to Lebanon, including support for No Lost Generation. Page 1 of 2 Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee Supplementary Budget Estimates 2015, 22 October 2015 QUESTIONS ON NOTICE/IN WRITING World Health Organization $7 million Basic health care for over 3 million people and addressing (WHO) critical shortages in basic medical supplies and essential medicines in Syria. United Nations Office for $3.5 million Humanitarian coordination and planning in Syria. the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs $1 million Syria Emergency Response Fund, managed by UNOCHA. (UNOCHA) Australian experts, $5.2 million Enable the deployment of expert Australian personnel to including through support the delivery of humanitarian aid in the region. For Australian Civilian Corps example, working with UNICEF and UNHCR to assist Syrian and RedR Australia refugees in Jordan and Lebanon, including in the fields of gender, child protection, planning and shelter, public health, and water and sanitation. United Nations Population $3 million Reproductive health services and psycho-social support, Fund (UNFPA) hygiene and emergency reproductive health kits to people in Syria. Respond to sexual and gender-based violence. United Nations Relief and $2 million Cash assistance and food vouchers to Palestinian refugees Works Agency for Palestine who had fled Syria to Lebanon. Refugees (UNRWA) Australian Red Cross $2 million Support to refugees (including Palestinian refugees from Syria) through the Lebanese Red Cross and Jordan Red Crescent. Total: $190.7 million IRAQ Partner Funding Details World Food Programme $21 million Food vouchers and food distribution, including monthly food (WFP) (includes $5 parcels for families who are temporarily settled and have million in access to cooking facilities. FY2015-16) United Nations High $9 million Shelter, medical assistance, access to clean water and hygiene Commissioner for Refugees kits. (UNHCR) International Humanitarian $5 million Food, water, health and protection. Organisation (includes $5 Undisclosed for personnel million in security reasons FY2015-16) Plan International Australia $3 million Medical assistance in partnership with International Medical Corps (IMC), including protection support for women and children. United Nations Population $2 million Reproductive health care, including obstetric services, and Fund (UNFPA) addressing the needs of displaced women, girls and survivors of gender-based violence. Total: $40 million Page 2 of 2 Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee Supplementary Budget Estimates 2015, 22 October 2015 QUESTIONS ON NOTICE/IN WRITING Question No 2 Program: DFAT Topic: Syria - humanitarian assistance Question on Notice Page: 7 Senator Dastyari Question At 9 September, the UN requested over $7.4 billion in funds for 18 million people. When were the UN requests to participate made and how (e.g. were the requests submitted to FMO or DFAT?) Answer The UN launched its 2015 appeals for Syria and the regional refugee response (covering Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt and Iraq) on 18 December 2014, seeking US$7.4 billion (plus an additional US$1 billion for the Governments of Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt). This appeal did not correspond to any specific request for Australian funds. However, the UN has made numerous calls on donors throughout the year for further funding to help address chronic shortfalls for the appeals. This includes the annual donor pledging conference for Syria held in Kuwait on 31 March 2015, where Australia announced $20 million, as well as a number of letters from UN agency heads sent to Minister Bishop and ad-hoc meetings with UN country offices and Australian Embassies in the region. Page 1 of 1 Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee Supplementary Budget Estimates 2015, 22 October 2015 QUESTIONS ON NOTICE/IN WRITING Question No 3 Program: DFAT Topic: Syria - humanitarian assistance Question on Notice Page: 9 Senator Dastyari Question As late as 5 September, Minister Bishop was saying that we would not increase humanitarian assistance and she rejected calls to increase humanitarian assistance. Then an announcement was made on 9 September. Minister, what happened between 5 September and 9 September to change the government's view? Answer Since 2011 Australia has been a generous donor in response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria. On 4 September the Minister said that “We are working with other countries in relation to the best way to resolve this humanitarian crisis. I think it is going to require a global response and Australia will certainly play its part”i. i Press Conference – Africa Down Under Conference, Transcript, 04 Sept 2015 Page 1 of 1 Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee Supplementary Budget Estimates 2015, 22 October 2015 QUESTIONS ON NOTICE/IN WRITING Question No 4 Program: DFAT Topic: Humanitarian assistance Question on Notice Page: 10 Senator Dastyari Question When were you advised that the decision had been made regarding the $44 million? Answer The Department was advised of the decision to provide a $44 million package of humanitarian assistance to Syria and Iraq on 8 September 2015. Page 1 of 1 Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee Supplementary Budget Estimates 2015, 22 October 2015 QUESTIONS ON NOTICE/IN WRITING Question No 5 Program: DFAT Topic: Humanitarian assistance Question on Notice Page: 10 Senator Wong Question Senator WONG: How long prior to the announcement was the decision made? Mr Isbister: As the secretary said, up until then there had been consistent advice going around on what the needs were and what our response would be. In terms of the actual decision on the $44 million, we will take that on notice. Senator WONG: Who did you tell us the decision was made by? Mr McDonald: The decision was made by the government. Senator WONG: Thank you for that, no kidding. Was it a decision by the foreign minister? Was it a decision of a subcommittee of the cabinet? Was it a full cabinet decision? I am asking the level at which it was made. That is not an unreasonable question. Mr Varghese: I am trying to recall the particulars. My understanding is that the decision followed a discussion at cabinet level or it appears to be NSC level and was subsequently announced. I do not know if that helps. Senator WONG: So can people please provide us with the date of that NSC discussion? Mr Varghese: I am not sure we are in a position to do that. … Senator Brandis: So I am taking your question on notice to get it clear. What I will try to do, because I think it will be helpful to the committee for the future, is, if on reflection the position is that the government does not propose to respond, I will set out the response with specificity the grounds. Answer The Department was advised of the decision to provide a $44 million package of humanitarian assistance on 8 September 2015. Proceedings of the NSC are sensitive and confidential. It has not been the practice of successive Governments to release dates of NSC discussions. Page 1 of 1 Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee Supplementary Budget Estimates 2015, 22 October 2015 QUESTIONS ON NOTICE/IN WRITING Question No 6 Program: DFAT Topic: NSC Question on Notice Page: 12 Senator Wong Question Can you take on notice whether the foreign minister or her office had any knowledge of this story [Daily Telegraph: spy chiefs to get a seat at the top table, Simon Benson] appearing prior to it appearing? Answer The Minister, the Minister’s Office and the Department had no prior knowledge of the article. Page 1 of 1 Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee Supplementary Budget Estimates 2015, 22 October 2015 QUESTIONS ON NOTICE/IN WRITING Question No 7 Program: DFAT Topic: Public Diplomacy Question on Notice Page: 14 Senator Dastyari Question You said there are 70 different Twitter handles that you manage. Are you able to provide all 70 of them on notice? Answer The department currently operates 58 twitter accounts* with several new accounts currently going through the approvals process or waiting to go live. The current list of twitter accounts includes: Handle Link 1.