Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent estimate she has made of the number people in southern Madagascar facing acute food insecurity and famine; and what support she is providing to people in that region.

The UK is deeply concerned by the humanitarian crisis in southern Madagascar. According to the latest official figures, around 1.64 million people (37%) in southern Madagascar were experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity between November and December 2021. The UK is working closely with the UN, the Government of Madagascar and other donors to ensure aid reaches those in need. In 2021, the UK allocated £5 million to UN humanitarian agencies to provide life-saving food assistance, nutrition and health interventions, access to safe water and to reinforce humanitarian system coordination in southern Madagascar. This UK funding will reach 250,000 people, including the provision of food assistance to 132,000 people. In addition, the UK is a core contributor to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund which allocated approximately £11.07 million ($15m) to the international response last year.