Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the recent increase in the number of internally displaced people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on UK humanitarian aid distribution.

The UK is a leading humanitarian partner in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We have allocated over £80 million in humanitarian support this financial year, supporting emergency lifesaving assistance and providing access to clean drinking water treatment for malnourished children, as well as life-saving sexual and reproductive health services. The humanitarian crisis is dire and rapidly worsening. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced since January.

Humanitarian access to the areas with populations of displaced people is a key challenge, due to the ongoing insecurity and closure of airports, for example. The UK is working with partners to improve humanitarian access and humanitarian partners are active and adapting to deliver life-saving services. We call on all parties not to obstruct the vital services that humanitarians are providing, and to cease hostilities and uphold the protection of humanitarian workers, as outlined in international humanitarian law.