Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the results of the visit to Ethiopia by the Special Envoy for Famine Prevention and Humanitarian Affairs in September.

The UK's Special Envoy for Famine Prevention and Humanitarian Affairs, Nick Dyer, visited Amhara and Mekelle in Ethiopia last month (September). The Minister for Africa Vicky Ford spoke to him immediately on his return. He concluded that the humanitarian situation has significantly deteriorated and the risk of famine is high. There are 6 million people, with 3 million of those being children, who are in dire need of food, health, water and sanitation assistance.

In Amhara the Special Envoy saw the World Food Programme (WFP) in action. He and Minister Ford have reiterated the need for WFP and other partners to have access to all areas so they can provide vital humanitarian aid. The UK Government is committed to continue to address the humanitarian crises in the north including Afar, Amhara, and Tigray regions. On 16 October - World Food Day - Minister Ford announced an additional £29m of humanitarian aid to people affected by the catastrophic conflict in northern Ethiopia. This increases the UK's commitment to the crisis to more than £75m - making the UK the second largest donor.

The Special Envoy has called for all sides to stop fighting and find a political solution to avoid civilian suffering. He raised this with the Ethiopian authorities when he met them during his visit, including the Ethiopian Minister of Finance.

The humanitarian situation in Tigray is a man-made crisis and it is completely unacceptable. Minister Ford urges all parties to urgently agree a ceasefire and to allow humanitarian aid to reach starving people.