Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure the prevention of vaccine-preventable diseases in hard-to-reach areas of Sudan.

The conflict in Sudan and the widespread destruction of sanitation and health services has caused devastating disease outbreaks across the country. Two-thirds of states in Sudan are now experiencing more than three different disease outbreaks, which are exacerbated by the impacts of climate change. In response, the UK is supporting the United Nations Children's Fund and others who are delivering lifesaving emergency health interventions including cholera vaccines, treatment, and prevention. Specifically, we are also contributing to an ongoing cholera vaccination campaign in Kosti and Rabak, targeting one million people. UK aid is also addressing related needs across the region given the cross-border risks of Sudan's cholera outbreak. We continue to urge all parties in Sudan to facilitate humanitarian access so that aid reaches those most in need.