Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what measures they have put in place to ensure a rapid response to international humanitarian emergencies, in the light of (1) the number of global active conflicts and atrocity crimes, and (2) budget cuts to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

The UK remains committed to support conflict and atrocity prevention to help save lives, uphold international law and prevent cycles of violence that drive displacement. The UK can rapidly deploy a range of assistance in response to humanitarian emergencies. This includes aid items such as tents and blankets, the UK Emergency Medical Team (UK EMT), and the UK International Search and Rescue Team, as well as technical experts specialising in disaster management, conflict, and health, among others. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) holds the Humanitarian Crisis Reserve, designed to enable rapid responses to new or emerging humanitarian crises, such as a natural disasters, disease outbreak, or spike in conflict.

We are working through detailed decisions on how the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget will be used from 2026/27 to 2028/29, informed by internal and external consultation and impact assessments. ODA is only one element of how we deliver impact. It is the combination of defence, politics, development, diplomacy and policy levers, which will maintain the UK's effectiveness amongst international partners and within the multilateral architecture.