Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to help people around the world who are dependent on humanitarian assistance for food, particularly in relation to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The UK is at the forefront of supporting those in need of humanitarian assistance and we are actively working with international partners to better track, monitor and respond to the impact of COVID-19 on food security.

To date, the UK has committed £744 million to the global response. We are a key contributor to the UN Global Humanitarian Response Plan, which is helping the most vulnerable access the support they need. We have provided considerable support to the World Food Programme to secure the continuity of supply chains for essential commodities and services, and to pre-position food supplies.

Through existing programmes, we also continue to work with partners to tackle acute food insecurity and malnutrition and provide food to millions of people. We are supporting the UN Food and Agriculture Office to tackle the current locust plague, including providing livestock feed and planting material for farmers already facing economic uncertainty due to COVID-19. We are also repurposing programmes to address the impact of COVID-19 on food security including to monitor food prices and stocks.