Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the White Nile river remains open as a humanitarian supply corridor into Upper Nile in South Sudan.

The Government has consistently called for an immediate ceasefire, the protection of civilians, and the safety and security of aid workers in our engagement with the Government of South Sudan and other regional partners. On 27 March, alongside the Troika and other likeminded partners, we called for de-escalation following rising violence. The Minister of State for International Development raised the issue of humanitarian access when she met South Sudan's Foreign Minister on 16 April in the margins of the Sudan Conference, and our Ambassador in Juba called for a ceasefire when he met with South Sudan's President Kiir on 14 May. The UK continues to support our UN partners to advocate for access to those displaced by the current conflict and to continue to deliver a humanitarian response in Upper Nile.