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 South Sudanese government’s use of Fogbow to deliver food supplies in remote areas on (a) UK and (b) other humanitarian aid delivery.

The UK is gravely concerned about the humanitarian situation in South Sudan and is following developments carefully, including Fogbow operations. While the UK welcomes government-led action that responds to needs among all affected people residing in hard-to-reach areas, the UK view is that effective humanitarian action upholds humanitarian principles of neutrality, humanity, impartiality and independence, and ensures that in conflicts, military assets and escorts are only used to deliver aid as a last resort. Consistent adherence to these operating principles among humanitarian actors is key to maintain and enhance humanitarian access, build trust, and protect civilians including humanitarian personnel. Aid operations to the contrary could increase risks for civilians and other international and national humanitarian aid organisations.