Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help prevent a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan in winter 2021-22; and if the Government will (a) engage in talks with the Taliban and (b) provide aid to support the Afghan population without food.

We are pressing the Taliban to respect international humanitarian law and principles, and to allow aid agencies to operate freely to meet needs in Afghanistan. The UK will spend £286 million on humanitarian and development needs in Afghanistan this year. On 31 October the Prime Minister announced that £50 million would be allocated to provide over 2.5 million Afghans with life-saving food, emergency health services, shelter and warm clothing to prepare for winter.