Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the domestic situation in Eritrea.

We are concerned about reports of Eritrea's involvement in the current conflict in Tigray in Ethiopia, which has seen rocket attacks on Asmara and elsewhere in Eritrea by the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF) since mid-November. We are urging Eritrea and all parties to de-escalate, urging unfettered humanitarian access to those in need and protection of civilians and human rights.

The Eritrean Government has introduced COVID-19 restrictions across the country, including a ban on travel between the main towns and closure of the hospitality sector, although Eritrea is largely case free other than in the quarantine camps in the border areas.

Desert locusts have badly affected the Southern Zone, including Asmara, as spraying is halted due to the conflict in Ethiopia. Eritrea is also experiencing food shortages, which are reported to be particularly severe in more remote locations including Northern and Southern Red Sea regions, that has led to a 25 percent increase in food prices since March.

Eritrea is also experiencing significant power outages across the country, with some areas without power for up to 12 hours per day.

UK Aid has funded life-saving humanitarian assistance in Eritrea since 2011; £2 million is planned to be disbursed through UNICEF in 2020/21 to provide access to safe hygiene and sanitation services and to help treat malnutrition in under-fives. During 2020 the UK has provided £25 million to support the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Regional Emergency Appeal for the locust outbreak in the Horn of Africa and Yemen.