Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to support (a) the authorities, (b) international organisations and (c) non-governmental organisations in Chad in their humanitarian support to refugees fleeing violence in Sudan.

The UK recognises the strain that the Sudan crisis is putting on neighbouring countries, such as Chad which is the second poorest country in the world and already hosting 400,000 Sudanese refugees in its eastern region. 141,000 additional people have sought refuge in Chad since the start of the Sudanese conflict. The UK rapidly allocated £2.75 million to provide urgent support to vulnerable Sudanese refugees and returnees. Of this, £1 million was provided to the Sahel Regional Fund to support non-governmental organisations provide protection and flexible humanitarian assistance according to needs, including on health, nutrition, water, sanitation, and shelter. £1.75 million was provided to the World Food Programme, to provide urgent food assistance and to preposition food stocks in Eastern Chad before roads become impassable due to seasonal floods. Alongside this commitment, the UK is pursuing all diplomatic avenues, including Ministerial and official-level engagement with regional counterparts, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, and the African Union, to end the violence, de-escalate tensions and support neighbouring countries who are grappling with an influx of people.