Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he has taken to ensure unfettered access to humanitarian aid for people in Tigray.

The UK has been consistent in calling for the protection of civilians in Ethiopia, unfettered humanitarian access, and respect for human rights, and continues to do so. Currently 5.2 million are in need of food aid. We are deeply concerned about the impact of the conflict on food security and nutrition in Tigray, including reports of people dying from hunger. We have raised these points with the Government in Addis Ababa consistently and at the highest levels, most recently during the visit of the UK Special Envoy for Famine Prevention and Humanitarian Affairs, Nick Dyer, from 19-25 May. He has called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, a call joined by 14 other nations including the US, Germany and France. I also discussed the issue on 9 June with development ministers from leading donor countries, including G7 nations.

UK-funded aid agencies in Tigray are delivering support in challenging circumstances, including food, shelter, water and healthcare. Teams from the British Embassy in Addis Ababa have visited Tigray on six occasions since March, meeting with humanitarian agencies working in the region. To date the UK has provided £22 million of badly needed support to people in Tigray.