Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he had made of the implications for his policies of the (a) humanitarian, (b) human rights and (c) security situation in the (i) Tigray, (ii) Amhara and (iii) Oromia regions of Ethiopia.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The humanitarian level of need across Ethiopia remains high. Last year, UK humanitarian assistance supported 950,000 with medical supplies, treatment for 80,000 malnourished children and women, and education for 10,000 boys and girls. This year Ethiopia has been designated a Focus Country in both the 2022 Human Rights and Democracy Report and the Women, Peace and Security National Action. We welcome the Ethiopian government's commitment to establish a national Transitional Justice policy and the progress on consultation to date. The Ambassador to Ethiopia recently announced funding for the African Union's monitoring, verification and compliance mechanism to support the implementation of the Pretoria peace deal.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that 700 people have died of hunger over a two-month period in the camp for internally displaced people at Shire, Western Tigray.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are aware of the reports of widespread hunger and other challenging circumstances people face in camps in Tigray. We do not currently have further information on the specific reports of deaths in the Shire camp. Humanitarian partners in Ethiopia are closely following the situation of vulnerable people across Ethiopia and investigating allegations of risk to life as a result of gaps in food assistance. We continue to provide humanitarian assistance to vulnerable people across Ethiopia, including in Tigray.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has received on (a) the humanitarian situation in Western Tigray, (b) reports of ethnic cleansing and forced displacements of Tigrayan people in that region and( c) responsibility for that alleged ethnic cleansing.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK continues to ensure improved awareness of and response to the large-scale and country wide humanitarian needs. In particular the UK is monitoring upcoming climate outlooks and support planning for likely below average rains from June - September as well as El Nino conditions from June. The UK noted the report published by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International in 2022 detailing widespread human rights violations and abuses committed by all parties to the conflict. The UK is committed to human rights being respected and those responsible for human rights abuses and violations being held to account. We continue to support the mandate of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia. We are providing £4.5 million to help build the capacity of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission through the UK's Human Rights and Peacebuilding programme.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Somalia about the prevention of famine in that country; and what future engagements they have scheduled.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
In 2022 the collective efforts of humanitarian partners and donors, including the UK, averted famine in Somalia. Despite the reduced famine risk, humanitarian needs remain extraordinary. The UK is committed to addressing the acute food security and malnutrition situation. Last financial year we committed over £61million to support the drought response in Somalia. We regularly engage at all levels with the Federal Government and Federal Member States on the humanitarian situation. In December, the Minister of State for Development and Africa's first overseas visit was to Somalia to raise the profile of the crisis and engage the government. Ministers and senior officials continue to engage, up to Presidential level. On 24 May the UK will co-host a UN pledging event in collaboration with the Governments of Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia to mobilise funding for humanitarian operations in the Horn of Africa.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made, in conjunction with (1) the World Food Programme and (2) the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, of the number of people displaced or affected by the conflict in Sudan and likely to be at risk of hunger or war crimes; and whether they intend to raise the situation in Sudan at the UN Security Council.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
Displacement across international borders during this crisis continues to rise - Chad (20,000), Egypt (11,000), South Sudan (4,000 South Sudanese returnees registered), Ethiopia (4,000 estimated) and CAR (700 people) [last updated 27 April]. UNHCR has declared a Level 1 Emergency for Chad, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Sudan. Humanitarian needs in the region will increase with this mass displacement.
We will coordinate with the international humanitarian system (including INGOs, UN agencies, Civil Society Organisations) to support the UN response. The UK will support a well-coordinated and prioritised regional response.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the impact on (a) Somalia and (b) Ethiopia of changes to UK aid allocations between 2019-20 and 2021-22.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Throughout changes to UK aid allocations in these years, the UK has and will continue to be a champion for international development and one of the most generous global aid donors, spending more than £11 billion in 2021.
This applies in Somalia where we are a leading donor. Over 2018-22 our flagship humanitarian and resilience programme reached almost 9.5 million Somalis, including more than 2.5 million with emergency food assistance and over 3.8 million with agricultural development activities.
It also applies in Ethiopia, where last financial year alone UK funding treated more than 330,000 malnourished children, gave almost 500,000 people access to safe water, reached more than 1.7 million people with emergency medical supplies, and provided more than 1.4 million with cash assistance to buy food and other essentials.
We remain committed to protecting the most vulnerable and to spending 0.7 per cent of gross national income on Official Development Assistance as soon as the fiscal situation allows.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in Tigray.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The humanitarian situation in Tigray remains very serious. According to the UN, approximately 5.4 million people require life-saving aid and hundreds of thousands are on the brink of famine. The recent peace agreement between the Government of Ethiopia and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) contained commitments to provide unfettered humanitarian access and the restoration of essential services. We welcome the early signs of progress, but humanitarian delivery needs to scale-up rapidly if it is to meet the desperate needs.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Cradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the situation in Tigray.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
We welcome the recent agreement between the Ethiopian Government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front to end the conflict in northern Ethiopia. The agreement provides for unfettered humanitarian access and for the resumption of essential basic services. The humanitarian situation in Tigray remains very serious. According to the UN approximately 5.4 million people require life-saving aid and hundreds of thousands are on the brink of famine.
Asked by: Laurence Robertson (Conservative - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the food security situation in East Africa.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Over 68 million people across the region need humanitarian aid of whom more than 51 million people face severe food insecurity including in Somalia, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, Kenya and Uganda.
The UK is committed to spending £156m on humanitarian aid in the region this financial year. UK funded humanitarian programmes are making a difference and saving lives.
Asked by: Laurence Robertson (Conservative - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the food security situation in East Africa.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
Across East Africa over 68 million people require humanitarian aid due to a combination of pressures including an unprecedented fourth consecutive season of failed rains, conflict (including the impacts of Russia's invasion of Ukraine), COVID-19 and flooding. Of this number, over 51 million people face severe food insecurity, of which 700,000 are facing famine-like conditions in South Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia. In the Horn of Africa, as a result of the drought, an estimated 26 million people are forecast to face severe levels of food insecurity by February 2023. Recent data from the Bay region in Somalia projects that in the absence of timely, scaled-up, multi-sectoral assistance, famine is likely to occur between October to December this year. Across the Horn of Africa an unprecedented fourth consecutive season of failed rains is causing a region-wide crisis. Meteorological agencies forecast warnings of further failed rains between October and December this year, which risk deepening the already critical humanitarian situation. Severe humanitarian needs will persist into 2023.