Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the statement in the Written Answer by Baroness Sugg on 9 March (HL1991) that "the UK does not currently provide humanitarian assistance in the middle belt states" and further to violence in Plateau, Benue, Taraba, southern Kaduna and Bauchi since 2015, what plans they have to provide humanitarian assistance in Nigeria’s Middle Belt states.

UK humanitarian assistance is provided based on lifesaving need and supports the United Nations-led Humanitarian Response Plan which focuses on the North East states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe which have been impacted by a non-international armed conflict. However, wider DFID work operates across Nigeria to improve healthcare, education and economic development outcomes, such as the PropCom Mai-Kalfi programme which, among its other objectives, seeks to provide sustainable livelihoods for women and families through poultry vaccinations and the introduction of climate conscious improved cookstoves, which reduces the production of harmful toxic smoke.