Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to support humanitarian relief in Afghanistan in response to the recent floods.

The floods have had a devastating impact on already vulnerable Afghan communities. The worst affected provinces are Kandahar, Helmand, Herat and Farah. More than 40 people are known to have died, and hundreds of others have been injured or are missing. According to the Government, more than 7,100 houses have been damaged and over 5,600 destroyed across Afghanistan. More than 50,000 people require humanitarian assistance.

At present, the Afghan Government are leading efforts to respond. International organisations are helping them to assess the situation on the ground and respond directly with food, non-food items, hygiene kits, winter clothes and emergency shelter (tents). DFID is closely monitoring what is happening and we stand ready to assist as and when our support is requested or required.

The UK is at the forefront of the international humanitarian response in Afghanistan. As a result of UK funding, up to two million Afghans received lifesaving assistance in 2018, including hundreds of thousands of Afghans affected by one of the worst droughts the country has ever faced. Our assistance includes shelter and heating support to help displaced people face the winter, as well as food assistance, lifesaving health & nutrition services, clean water, and demining activities.