Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure access to humanitarian aid for women and children in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is actively supporting humanitarian efforts in Gaza, with a particular focus on protecting vulnerable groups including women and children. In August, the UK announced £3 million funding for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), to contribute to UNFPA's response and early recovery results under four key pillars: Sexual and Reproductive Health; Gender-Based Violence; Adolescents and Youth; Interagency Coordination. This funding addressed the urgent needs of women and girls facing violence within Gaza. The UK has also funded United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) with £9.7 million to support provision of ready-to-use infant formula, water, sanitation and hygiene services, psychosocial services for children, and social protection to children. We continue to call on Israel to fully enable the UN and other humanitarian organisations to be able to deliver humanitarian aid in Palestine.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential risks of (a) cholera and (b) other waterborne diseases among internally displaced populations in Yemen; and what steps she is taking with international partners to help mitigate those risks.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Yemen remains one of the world's worst humanitarian crises including with 4.8 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). The UK provided £144 million in humanitarian aid in financial year 2024/2025 and is currently the largest donor to the Yemen Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for this financial year.
Both of the UK's humanitarian programmes support the most vulnerable in Yemen, including IDPs. The UK's Women and Children programme provides primary health care and nutrition, water hygiene and sanitation, and sexual and reproductive health services. In 2025, the programme supported 534 health facilities, providing basic medicines, health workers and community outreach to over one million people, including IDPs. The UK's Food Safety and Security Nets programme has supported more than 26,000 IDPs this year. The programme supports vulnerable communities with cash for food and living expenses, delivers "shock responsive" funding to all those impacted by flooding, and provides direct support to Women's Rights Organisations working with IDPs. The programme has supported more than 88,000 people with Gender Based Violence (GBV) and child protection services, essential given the increased exposure to GBV that IDPs face.
We are working with international partners to respond to these growing needs. The UK and Saudi Arabia have worked together on a $10 million joint programme on cholera in Yemen. Working through the United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO), this joint programme tackled cholera in the most high-risk and affected communities, including IDP communities.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help support internally displaced people in Yemen living in (a) overcrowded and (b) flood-prone settlements with limited access to (i) water, (ii) sanitation and (iii) health services.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Yemen remains one of the world's worst humanitarian crises including with 4.8 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). The UK provided £144 million in humanitarian aid in financial year 2024/2025 and is currently the largest donor to the Yemen Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for this financial year.
Both of the UK's humanitarian programmes support the most vulnerable in Yemen, including IDPs. The UK's Women and Children programme provides primary health care and nutrition, water hygiene and sanitation, and sexual and reproductive health services. In 2025, the programme supported 534 health facilities, providing basic medicines, health workers and community outreach to over one million people, including IDPs. The UK's Food Safety and Security Nets programme has supported more than 26,000 IDPs this year. The programme supports vulnerable communities with cash for food and living expenses, delivers "shock responsive" funding to all those impacted by flooding, and provides direct support to Women's Rights Organisations working with IDPs. The programme has supported more than 88,000 people with Gender Based Violence (GBV) and child protection services, essential given the increased exposure to GBV that IDPs face.
We are working with international partners to respond to these growing needs. The UK and Saudi Arabia have worked together on a $10 million joint programme on cholera in Yemen. Working through the United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO), this joint programme tackled cholera in the most high-risk and affected communities, including IDP communities.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking with (a) international partners and (b) UN agencies to help tackle the (i) humanitarian and (ii) protection needs of internally displaced people in Yemen.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Yemen remains one of the world's worst humanitarian crises including with 4.8 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). The UK provided £144 million in humanitarian aid in financial year 2024/2025 and is currently the largest donor to the Yemen Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for this financial year.
Both of the UK's humanitarian programmes support the most vulnerable in Yemen, including IDPs. The UK's Women and Children programme provides primary health care and nutrition, water hygiene and sanitation, and sexual and reproductive health services. In 2025, the programme supported 534 health facilities, providing basic medicines, health workers and community outreach to over one million people, including IDPs. The UK's Food Safety and Security Nets programme has supported more than 26,000 IDPs this year. The programme supports vulnerable communities with cash for food and living expenses, delivers "shock responsive" funding to all those impacted by flooding, and provides direct support to Women's Rights Organisations working with IDPs. The programme has supported more than 88,000 people with Gender Based Violence (GBV) and child protection services, essential given the increased exposure to GBV that IDPs face.
We are working with international partners to respond to these growing needs. The UK and Saudi Arabia have worked together on a $10 million joint programme on cholera in Yemen. Working through the United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO), this joint programme tackled cholera in the most high-risk and affected communities, including IDP communities.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking with his counterparts in multilateral organisations to (a) defend and (b) advance sexual and reproductive (i) health and (ii) rights.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK works with multilateral organisations including the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), World Health Organisation and the Global Financing Facility, alongside governments and civil society and provides targeted funding, technical partnership and diplomatic engagement to defend and advance sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).
Earlier this year on International Women's Day, the Foreign Secretary appointed Baroness Harman as Special Envoy for Women and Girls, progressing our foreign policy and development objectives to protect women and girls' rights, including SRHR. In June 2026, she met with international counterparts and programme partners at Wilton Park, expressing the UK's commitment to defending and advancing SRHR.
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support his Department is providing to humanitarian organisations operating in conflict-affected areas of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains committed to addressing the humanitarian crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), allocating approximately £60 million this financial year. Much of this funding will support lifesaving humanitarian aid, including food and cash assistance, clean water access, malnutrition treatment, and supporting sexual and reproductive health services alongside United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The UK remains engaged diplomatically with DRC, Rwanda, and other partners to promote peace and stability. We continue to urge all parties to uphold International Humanitarian Law, protect women and girls, and ensure humanitarian workers can deliver essential services.
Asked by: Leigh Ingham (Labour - Stafford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on improving sexual and reproductive health by implementing the programme entitled Strengthening grassroots organisations and countering efforts to roll back.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is working with other governments globally to protect and progress sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) including through diplomacy and ODA programming. In December 2024, the Prime Minister announced the Grassroots and Counter Rollback Programme, which includes support to high-level cross country political coordination to defend and progress SRHR. The programme also works with other government donors in support of pooled funds, including the Robert Carr Fund, which strengthens, connects and amplifies bottom-up efforts to change laws and policies, improve accountability and expand access to services, including for the most marginalised people.
The Foreign Secretary appointed Baroness Harman as Special Envoy for Women and Girls on 08 March 2025. She met international counterparts and programme partners at a Wilton Park meeting on SRHR in June 2025.
Asked by: Baroness Sugg (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights by providing funding to strengthen grassroots organisations.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK Government strongly values the work of grassroots organisations in improving access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in their communities and countries, especially in the context of growing international pushback on women and girls' rights. On World AIDS Day in December 2024, the Prime Minister announced the Grassroots and Counter Rollback Programme. This programme will strengthen local and national civil society organisations, movements and their networks. This will support SRHR in their own communities and countries, and build efforts in the front line facing intensified international pushback against SRHR. It will focus on neglected issues, such as safe abortion, and marginalised groups, whose rights and access to services are often denied or curtailed.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps is he taking to help tackle (a) sexual and (b) gender-based violence in Sudan.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Rt Hon. member to her previous question, 53517, to which our response outlined the UK's commitment to tackling gender-based violence in Sudan, and Ministerial engagement on the issue. Furthermore, through the Sudan Free of Female Genital Mutiliation programme, UK funding supports work on protection, prevention and care services for survivors of sexual violence. The UK funded Women's Integrated Sexual Health programme, has provided sexual and reproductive services to women, girls, men as well as persons living with disabilities, with UK aid delivered in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and other contexts. We have also enhanced our atrocity risk monitoring, including monitoring of conflict-related sexual violence and are working with UN and non-governmental organisation partners to provide safe spaces, clinical treatment, dignity kits and psycho-social services for survivors.
Asked by: Baroness Hussein-Ece (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to continue promoting the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls globally, and what action they are taking to combat attacks on those rights.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK is committed to promoting and advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), working with governments, multilateral partners and civil society. We use targeted funding, technical partnership and diplomatic engagement to provide strong leadership on SRHR.
The UK has a long history as a well-respected influential global leader on SRHR and will continue to defend and champion these fundamental rights in international fora, particularly for the most marginalised. This is supported by the UK's strategic Official Development Assistance funding. For example, on World AIDS Day in 2024, the Prime Minister announced the Grassroots and Counter Rollback programme. This strengthens local and national civil society organisations' and movements' ability to expand access to SRHR and counter rollback. It focuses on neglected issues, including safe abortion, and marginalised groups whose rights and access to services are being attacked.