Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to respond to the needs of vulnerable journalists, writers, and media workers in Afghanistan.

The UK is a champion of media freedom and a proud member of the Media Freedom Coalition. According to the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, 40 per cent of media outlets in Afghanistan have ceased to operate and 60 per cent of journalists have lost their jobs since August 2021. In response, the UK is providing programme funding to support media organisations still operating in Afghanistan. We also continue to raise the issue of media freedom in our discussions with the Taliban.