Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she has had discussions with UN agencies on increasing funding for gender-based violence services as part of the Global Humanitarian Response plan.

The UK is deeply concerned about the surge in gender-based violence (GBV) during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have consistently encouraged the UN agencies, including United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), to prioritise GBV within the Global Humanitarian Response Plan (GHRP) through bilateral channels and joint advocacy with other donors.

Whilst we are pleased to see improvements in how GBV is being addressed overall in the GHRP, the UK is continuing to discuss with UN agencies what more can be done to ensure sufficient focus, finance and accountability for GBV in the humanitarian response. All UN agencies and international actors must demonstrate that the shadow pandemic of GBV is taken seriously in the global response to COVID-19 and be held accountable for addressing it.

We have committed £20 million to UNICEF and £10 million to UNFPA through the GHRP, which includes funding to scale up reporting, protection and support services for women and girls affected by violence in the world’s poorest countries. £20 million of UK Aid funding to UNHCR’s work with refugees and internally displaced people also includes support for adapting and scaling-up essential services for gender-based violence and child protection.