Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the fluctuations in the levels of humanitarian aid that has reached Darfur over the last 6 months.

Aid flows into and across Darfur over the last six months have been wholly inadequate. Armed violence and access constraints imposed by the warring parties have had unacceptable impacts on relief operations. The UK remains fully committed to ensuring safe and unimpeded humanitarian access throughout Sudan in order to alleviate the unprecedented levels of suffering. We are using all levers at our disposal to raise the profile of the humanitarian situation and to improve the operating context for aid agencies.

On 15 April, following the Sudan London Conference, the co-chairs' statement called on relevant parties to allow and facilitate rapid, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to all areas of need through all necessary routes in adherence with their obligations under international humanitarian law. In addition, the UK supported Canada's efforts as Chair of the G7 to issue a joint statement expressing concern about reports of the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare in Sudan and calling on warring parties to facilitate unimpeded humanitarian access.

During April's London Sudan Conference the Foreign Secretary announced a further £120 million towards the crisis which will provide life-saving aid to more than 650,000 people.