question

Q: you described the border – that you cited – as one of the most dangerous
places in the world. And as you may know, there are millions of refugees spilling over into Pakistan every day. Will any of the aid or any of the political stability you cited be targeted towards those areas or, perhaps, the North-Western Frontier Province of Pakistan?

MR.DOUGLAS ALEXANDER: (Secretary of State for international development, United Kingdom) Well, if you look at the work of my department, Pakistan is now our
second-largest bilateral aid program anywhere in the world. And this year we, in light of the level ofinternal displacement, have made significant contributions to the humanitarian efforts that are
required. There is more work to be done in relation to that continuing humanitarian challenge, but Britain, of course, is but one actor in relation to support for Pakistan. And I know that there areother countries who are also considering what further support can be provided. It is also fair to acknowledge that these areas are extremely challenging environments in which to work. And if you are to move beyond the humanitarian response to both the reconstruction phase and the longer-term development work, then it’s right to acknowledge that these are very, very
challenging environments. But in that sense, I know that it is an issue of which we are focused on and I know a number of other international partners are focused on.