Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with international partners to (a) help prevent violence against Christian communities in Burkina Faso and (b) support displaced people impacted by religious persecution.

The UK strongly condemns reports of attacks on religious minorities in Burkina Faso and has consistently called on all actors in Burkina Faso to respect human rights and adhere to international humanitarian law.

The UK remains committed to funding official development aid to address the drivers of conflict and reduce the influence of violent extremist organisations in the region, including through providing over £142 million in bilateral official development aid to the Sahel in Financial Year 2024/25. The majority of this was used on humanitarian aid for displaced people but programmes also promote stability and conflict resolution, provide health services and bolster resilience to climate change.