Weekly Update – Friday 27th August 2021

Afghanistan Update

The evacuation of Afghanistan has continued this week and Western forces look set to stick to the August 31 deadline for withdrawal. First of all, our thoughts must go out to the more than ninety victims of the horrific ISIS-K attack that struck outside of Kabul Airport and the Baron Hotel yesterday. Thoughts and prayers must be with the victims of the attack and their family and friends.

I am writing this message directly to the huge number of constituents who have contacted me on behalf of family, friends and loved ones who are currently in danger in Afghanistan, asking for help.

Today, it appears that the UK’s evacuation is in its final stages with the processing centre at Baron Hotel having been closed. As I know from dozens of constituents who have contacted me on behalf of loved ones who are in danger because they have worked for the Afghan government, had prominent roles within civil society or for other reasons, there are still countless Afghans who remain at serious risk of violence from the Taliban and as yet have been unable to get out of the county. This must be an incredibly concerning time for all of you and this news must only add to your worry.

Please rest assured that my office continues to remain in contact with all the relevant Government departments regarding all of the cases that I have received, and I have requested urgent responses to them all. Unfortunately, we have had very little communication from the Government so far and I completely understand that this lack of communication from the Government is deeply frustrating and only adding to the anguish that you are feeling. Even after the evacuation flights finish, I will still try to assist you however I am able.

The Government must publish full details of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme urgently to provide clarity going forwards as to how the scheme will work and who will be eligible. All we know currently is that it is set to open as soon as possible, and centres will be created in neighboring countries at which applicants will be received.

I hope to be in touch with all those who have contacted me very soon, when we have received further updates from the Government. All those in Afghanistan seeking refuge remain at the forefront of my thoughts and I will continue to do whatever I am able to speak up for those affected by the crisis and urge the Government to do more for refugees.

Covid Update

It has now been more than a month since lockdown restrictions were lifted and large events indoors were allowed again. In the London Borough of Enfield, the weekly infection rate as of 24 August was 173.5 cases per 100,000 people. While the vaccine rollout is showing its effectiveness and we have not seen catastrophic exponential growth in the numbers of cases and deaths over the past eighteen months, we must not forget that COVID-19 is still having serious effects for many. The seven-day average of deaths currently sits at 94 a day across the country.

It is particularly important that the victims of long-COVID are not forgotten about and that the NHS continues to build up its support network for those who are still suffering the effects of the disease long after the initial infection. The Government also must commit the required investment needed to tackle the backlog in treatment for other conditions, caused by the COVID-19 crisis.

The Harm of Air Pollution

A university study which involved 13,000 Londoners has found that increased exposure to air pollution significantly increases the severity of mental illness. This study looked at patients suffering from mental health issues from first contact with mental health services and assessed the level of pollution which they were exposed to against their outcomes. The study’s results were that a patient’s likelihood of needing community-based treatment would increase by 32% if their exposure to nitrogen dioxide had a small increase, while their risk of being admitted to hospital would rise by 18%.

This is just further evidence in how air pollution seriously impacts on our health, with it most obviously adversely affecting our lungs, recent studies have shown that is a bigger killer worldwide than tobacco and that increased exposure also increases the risk of dementia as well as having a negative effect on intelligence.

This should further stiffen our resolve to oppose the new Edmonton incinerator. With this evidence of the harmful effects that the incinerator would have on public health and with our awareness of the climate emergency that is currently hitting the globe, there is no excuse to go ahead with this project. Instead, we should be seeking to explore green alternatives for waste management and invest in ramping rates of recycling.

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Thank you for taking the time to read my latest update, if you have any issues that you would like to raise directly with me then please do email edmontonconstituency@parliament.uk. I’m always happy to help whenever possible.

Kind regards,

Kate Osamor  MP