Pregnancy: Humanitarian Aid

(asked on 10th May 2022) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will provide humanitarian assistance for (1) general food and water distribution, (2) blanket supplementary feeding for children aged six to 59 months, and (3) blanket supplementary feeding for pregnant and lactating women.


Answered by
 Portrait
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This question was answered on 23rd May 2022

The UK is committed to providing principled humanitarian assistance and supporting those in greatest need around the world, as set out in the Integrated Review. The 2021 Spending Review commits FCDO to spend £3 billion on humanitarian efforts over the next three years.

Preventing malnutrition when disasters arise is essential for saving lives and for giving those affected a better chance to become more resilient in the long term. To do this, a basic preventative package needs to be provided and targeted to populations at greatest risk (this includes adolescent girls, women and young children). This package will vary depending on the context but will likely include: (1) treatment for acute malnutrition; (2) other essential health and nutrition services for women and children; (3) Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH); (4) food assistance with specific provision for young children and pregnant / breastfeeding women. Other services might be needed to address impacts that psychological trauma and displacement can have on nutrition. This includes supporting women to breastfeed as a strategy for preventing mortality and malnutrition.

Reticulating Splines