Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what additional assistance they intend to provide to those countries in East Africa affected by COVID-19 to mitigate the impact of the pandemic and the increase in locusts currently swarming in that region.

We are deeply concerned about the combined impacts of COVID-19 and the locust outbreak in East Africa. Millions of people already face food insecurity in the region caused by humanitarian disasters and conflict. These outbreaks will exacerbate these challenges.

We are using UK aid to mitigate new health, humanitarian and economic risks across Africa and have pledged £744 million of UK aid globally to end the COVID-19 pandemic.

The UK is also supporting the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) Regional Emergency Appeal for the locust outbreak and has contributed £7 million for the spraying of pesticides on the ground and by air. We will continue taking proactive action, including adapting our existing programmes to meet urgent needs.