Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 2 November (HL10899), whether they are cooperating with other countries in their support of the Manjo people in Southern Ethiopia; and whether they intend to raise the social, political and economic marginalisation of the Manjo people at the United Nations.

Further to my reply of 2 November, I can confirm that the Civil Society Support Programme through which the UK supported marginalised communities in Ethiopia, including the Manjo, was a multi-donor programme. Contributors alongside DFID for the first phase of the programme were Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Canada and Denmark. The current phase of the programme which will continue to have a focus on marginalised communities including the Manjo will be supported by Ireland, Sweden and Norway.

At this time we believe the Ethiopian government is taking steps to address the challenges which the Manjo and other marginalised groups face, and that continued engagement in-country alongside our international partners is the best course of action. We do not plan to raise the issue in the United Nations at present.