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 effect of reductions to Official Development Assistance spending on the ability of the UK Government to respond effectively to the eruption of Mount Nyiragongo in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The seismic impact of the pandemic on the UK economy has forced us to take tough but necessary decisions, including temporarily reducing the overall amount we spend on aid to 0.5% of GNI. Despite the reductions in Overseas Development Assistance (ODA), the UK will remain one of the largest humanitarian donors in DRC and a world-leading ODA donor. We will spend more than £10 billion this year to fight poverty and respond to humanitarian crises across the globe.

In response to the recent eruption of Mount Nyiragongo, UK-funded partners are already on the ground providing emergency support. The International Federation of the Red Cross Disaster Relief Emergency Fund is providing first aid, water, sanitation, hygiene, shelter and psychological support and working to restore family units. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), one of our major humanitarian partners, is providing support for unaccompanied children and the UN Humanitarian Air Service is providing vital reconnaissance flights in the area. We are working closely with the UN peacekeeping mission (MONUSCO), the UN Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs and our humanitarian partners to monitor the situation, assess the impact, and deliver further assistance if required.