Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what humanitarian steps he is taking to (a) support peace and (b) protect vulnerable communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The UK is delivering a three-year humanitarian programme in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), providing life-saving emergency assistance and increasing the resilience of crisis-affected communities affected by the conflict. During his visit to the DRC in August Lord Collins, Minister for Africa, announced £3.1 million of new funding to help the DRC tackle the outbreak of mpox and cholera.

We are engaging with the DRC and Rwanda at the highest levels to encourage de-escalation and progress on the Luanda Peace Process - with Lord Collins having visited and met with the Presidents of Angola, DRC and Rwanda in August and September.