Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the humanitarian situation in northern Ethiopia, including the Tigray region; what estimate she has made of the number of internally displaced persons and other vulnerable populations currently experiencing acute food insecurity; what steps her Department is taking to provide emergency food, nutrition, and medical assistance; and what steps she is taking to coordinate UK support with the World Food Programme, other UN agencies, and international partners to alleviate hunger in the region.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The ongoing conflict in Amhara has led to significant humanitarian needs, and widespread conflict-related human rights violations and abuses. In Tigray, there are an estimated 500,000 to 700,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs).
UK Official Development Assistance to Ethiopia in 2025/26 is £172.7 million, of which £95.5 million has been used to provide lifesaving humanitarian aid, focused on emergency health, nutrition, and social protection implemented by a combination of UN agencies, non-governmental organisations, and the Red Cross.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his (a) Pakistani and (b) Bangladeshi counterpart on (i) the provision of support following recent floods and (ii) strengthening resilience to future climate-related flooding.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK was among the first to respond to the floods in Pakistan, approving £2.13 million in emergency funding across seven most affected districts reaching nearly 223,000 people with search and rescue, emergency medical care, food, water, hygiene, and household items. His Majesty the King, the Prime Minister, the former Foreign Secretary and I have shared messages of condolence and support with the Pakistani government.
In Bangladesh, we have supported over 150,000 climate-vulnerable people since 2023. We provided £1.6 million for cyclone and flood response and recovery between May 2024 and March 2025. We are working with the Government of Bangladesh to strengthen flood forecasting and early warning systems in partnership with the UK Met Office. In March 2025, the Bangladesh Adviser for Environment, Forests and Climate Change discussed disaster preparedness with the UK Special Representative for Climate.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of trends in the number of British citizens who have reported being victims of sex crimes in foreign countries over the last five years; and what support his Department provides to those people (a) in situ and (b) on their return to the UK.
Answered by David Rutley
FCDO data for the past five years on the number of rape and sexual assault cases where consular assistance was provided to British nationals is presented in the table below.
The FCDO takes all reports of rape and sexual assault seriously. Consular staff are available to provide immediate support by telephone 24/7 and will try to see a victim to provide in person assistance as soon as possible, depending on location and timing. The FCDO's public guide "Support for British National Abroad" outlines the support available, including through organisations funded by FCDO to support victims on their return to the UK, where the FCDO can continue to support victims in relation to any ongoing investigation abroad.
Calendar Year | Number of Rape and Sexual Assault Cases where consular assistance was provided to British nationals (Total) |
2019 | 365 |
2020 | 137 |
2021 | 138 |
2022 | 343 |
2023 | 388* |
* Figures from 16 October 2023 are subject to a different reporting methodology due to a change in case management system.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of (a) the report entitled A/HRC/55/80: Situation of human rights in Afghanistan - Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, published by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on 29 February 2024 and (b) allegations of human rights abuses against Shia Muslim (i) women and (ii) girls of Hazara ethnicity.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
The Government notes the recommendations in the UN Special Rapporteur's latest report and will continue working closely with the international community, including the G7, G20 and through the UN, to promote and protect the human rights of all Afghans, including women and girls, and to coordinate a consistent international response. More broadly, officials from the UK Mission to Afghanistan regularly press Taliban acting ministers to protect religious and ethnic minorities, including Shia Muslims and Hazara communities.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
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 secure the release of British people detained abroad.
Answered by Rehman Chishti
Consular staff work tirelessly and tenaciously to give support to British nationals overseas and their families. This includes around 5,000 individuals who are arrested or detained each year. Our support is tailored to the needs of the individual and their situation, doing more for those who need more help.