Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 29 December (HL11518), whether they will now answer the question put, namely what steps they have taken in response to the statement by the government of Ethiopia that (1) its military shot at a UN convoy, and (2) it wants the UN to travel in armed convoy.

We were concerned to learn that UN staff conducting an assessment mission to Tigray were shot at and briefly detained. Humanitarian agencies must be able to deliver aid to people affected by the fighting in Ethiopia in line with international humanitarian principles. We note that guidance on the use of armed escorts in Tigray has now been developed by the UN humanitarian country team, and we continue to press for full and unfettered humanitarian access to Tigray and other impacted areas.