Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the impact of the war in Ukraine on food shortages and famine in the Global South.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is exacerbating global food insecurity risks, already heightened by climate change, conflict and Covid-19. 43 million people are living a step away from famine; almost 570,000 people are estimated to be living in famine-like conditions. With 1.7 billion people in over 100 countries facing food, energy and commodity price rises, the global impact of Russia's war and the pursuit of practical solutions is a key priority for the UK.

We are calling for all countries to keep food trade flowing. At the World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings in April, the UK and our partners secured the largest ever financial commitment from the World Bank: $170 billion until end June 2023 to support countries faced with economic hardship as a result of the Russian invasion and its impact on the world. With G7 allies, we are discussing Germany's proposal for a G7 Global Alliance on Food Security, to scale up a rapid, needs-based coordinated response, while building on current food security architecture and avoiding a fragmented global response.