Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what humanitarian assistance the UK Government is providing to Ethiopia.

The humanitarian context in Tigray is catastrophic. In September, our Special Envoy for famine prevention and humanitarian affairs, Nick Dyer, visited Tigray and saw the devastating consequences of this conflict and the de facto blockade imposed by the Ethiopian Government since late June. I have called on all parties in Ethiopia to urgently agree a ceasefire and to allow humanitarian aid through.

The humanitarian crisis now extends beyond Tigray impacting millions of people in Afar and Amhara following attacks by the Tigray Defence Force (TDF). All parties must allow humanitarian supplies and commercial goods to reach all areas of need. An escalation of violence has grave implications for vulnerable populations across Ethiopia impacting at least 20 million people reliant on humanitarian aid and the 31 million people assessed as living below the poverty line. The UK has committed £76 million to the crises response- making the UK the second largest donor globally. This includes £6.1 million in funding to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the Danish Refugee Council to address urgent needs arising from the Tigray crisis in Sudan.

FCDO officials speak regularly with representatives from the UN and other humanitarian agencies on contingency planning for an increase in needs inside Ethiopia as well as for further displacement of refugees into neighbouring states. Our priority is to ensure that all Ethiopians in need receive life-saving aid and that humanitarian access to areas affected by insecurity is maintained.