Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the statement by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation on 15 March that Yemen will face a famine later this year unless immediate action is taken, that 2.2 million children are malnourished, and that children under the age of five are dying from preventable causes.

The statement by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation and others highlights the need to respond urgently to the food security crisis and prevent loss of life. In February, the Secretary of State issued a call to the international community to step up their response to the risk of famine in Somalia, South Sudan, Nigeria and Yemen. The UK has led by example, providing lifesaving nutrition support to 889,000 women and children and food or food vouchers to 462,000 people in 2016/17 so far. We are planning a significant contribution to Yemen in 2017/18.