Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of making aid available to Christian communities facing violence or persecution in central and northern Nigeria.

The UK's humanitarian support in Nigeria focuses on supporting the most vulnerable, including people and communities affected and displaced by violence and conflict. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's Humanitarian and Resilience Programme (HARP) in Nigeria has reached approximately 1 million people, increasing resilience for people with the most severe humanitarian needs in North East Nigeria, in line with the UN Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan. Additionally, the UK's Strengthening Peace and Resilience programme ('SPRING') is working to reduce rural violence in northwest and north-central Nigeria, including supporting collaboration and productive livelihoods for both farmers and pastoralists.