Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department has taken to assist displaced children under five.

DFID recognises that displaced children are specifically vulnerable to the consequences of leaving their homes and communities and often their main carers. Working with partner humanitarian agencies DFID looks to ensure that the assistance and protection needs of children, especially the under -fives are addressed with urgency when a crisis occurs. As part of DFID’s regional response to the Syria crisis for example, DFID partners including UNICEF and specialist health NGOs are providing primary health services, including routine immunisation and malnutrition screening for under-5s. DFID is also funding child friendly spaces, which are accessible to accompanied under-5s, and services to unaccompanied and separated children. Under-5s also benefit from the provision of assistance to their caregivers, notably food, shelter, health, protection and psychosocial support.