Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether his Department is taking steps to help (a) the people displaced in eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and (b) reduce the outbreak of disease and hunger in that region.
The humanitarian emergency in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is one of the most catastrophic globally. 5.5 million people are now displaced, with the majority living in unacceptable conditions and at risk of food insecurity. In addition, climate shocks are impacting agriculture, livelihoods and fishing, increasing food prices (by 16 per-cent on average) and poverty levels and resulting in a deterioration of basic infrastructure. In response, the UN's System Wide Scale Up has been extended for a second time until end of December. The UK supported the scale up and urged for more resources and action from the DRC Government and other international partners. A 3-year £98 million UK funded humanitarian and resilience programme for crisis affected communities in eastern DRC where the food security needs are the highest has recently been approved. We are currently allocating funding to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) for Cholera, to the World Food Programme (WFP) for food security and to a new consortium led by Concern to improve livelihoods of conflict affected communities that will address disease and hunger.