Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2022 to Question 119771, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the humanitarian aid and development assistance it is providing to Afghanistan will be targeted towards those Afghan citizens that most need that aid and assistance.

On 28 January, the Foreign Secretary announced £97 million humanitarian assistance. We are now delivering on the UK's promise to double UK aid to Afghanistan to £286 million in 2021-22.

Afghanistan is now the world's most severe food security crisis and UK Aid will provide emergency food assistance for 4.47 million people. Our humanitarian programmes will provide assistance to the most vulnerable, including women and girls. The UK government continues to work closely with the UN and non-governmental organisations (NGO) to ensure that UK aid benefits Afghans in need while meeting our international obligations. We are working with them to assess the changing situation on the ground and assess needs. We deliver through UN agencies and NGOs who have a track record of delivering in challenging circumstances and who are continuing to ensure vital aid reaches those who need it most.

Ministers and officials have met frequently with humanitarian NGOs and representatives of vulnerable groups. They are in regular touch with our partners to discuss the situation on the ground and address any obstacles to aid getting through. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for South Asia, met Deborah Lyons, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan before her recent visit to Kabul. We continue to monitor the humanitarian situation and humanitarian access closely.