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<p>In the last few years, the UK has led the world on tackling sexual violence in
conflict, working with international partners such as the UN, EU and Red Cross. In
the Middle East we are supporting vulnerable women and girls through our role in the
international humanitarian relief effort. The more than £2.3 billion we are providing
in response to these crises is the UK’s largest ever response to a single humanitarian
crisis.</p><p> </p><p>We recognise the plight faced by vulnerable women and girls
in the region, and particularly those women, including Yazidis, who have escaped following
enslavement by Daesh. That is why we have funded the establishment of three community
centres in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq which provide them with psychosocial and legal
support, and the provision of two UN technical experts who will continue to improve
the coordination of the humanitarian response to gender based violence in Iraq. Through
the Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund we are also providing life-saving maternal and specialised
support for escapees of Daesh terror.</p><p> </p><p>The British Government is also
funding a project which aims to improve the documentation of sexual violence and other
gender based cases in a victim sensitive way. We also co-sponsored the UN Human Rights
Council Resolution mandating the UN to investigate and report on Daesh abuses.</p><p>
</p><p>Ultimately, the only way to protect civilians, including Yazidi women, from
Daesh is by defeating this terrible organisation, which in turn requires, amongst
other things, ending the conflict in Syria. The UK has been at the forefront of these
efforts. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron),
set out the Government’s comprehensive strategy for dealing with Daesh and the conflict
in Syria in his response to the Foreign Affairs Committee on 26 November 2015.</p>
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