Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the loss of food production this year owing to the conflict in South Sudan; and how they are assisting United Nations agencies and non-governmental organisations to meet the food shortages in the affected areas.

Since December 2013 over 2 million people have been displaced by the conflict in South Sudan with the majority now residing in refugee camps and reliant on humanitarian aid. While it is too early for assessments for crop production in 2015, widespread disruption to agriculture is predicted to continue across the country and internally displaced people will continue to be reliant on aid, particularly during the dry season.

Under the Humanitarian Response Plan, the United Nations has appealed for USD 1.7 billion for 2015. The UK is one of the top three donors to this plan.