Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to secure the passage of humanitarian aid and food into Tigray; and what estimate they have made of the number of people now facing famine.

On 16 October, the Minister for Africa announced an additional £29 million of humanitarian aid to people affected by the catastrophic conflict in northern Ethiopia. She has called on all parties in Ethiopia to urgently agree a ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid through and for the Ethiopian Government to lift the de facto blockade of humanitarian relief into the Tigray region. Part of this additional funding aims to improve the logistical capability of the UN to deliver aid into Tigray. We continue to push both sides of the conflict to prioritise the wellbeing of people in need in northern Ethiopia and allow the flow of badly needed humanitarian assistance.

This conflict has caused a humanitarian catastrophe, with the UN estimating that 5.5 million people face acute food insecurity. Over 400,000 people in Tigray are experiencing famine-like conditions. The UK's Special Envoy for Famine Prevention and Humanitarian Affairs, Nick Dyer had visited Ethiopia in September where he concluded that the humanitarian situation has significantly deteriorated and the risk of famine is high. In Amhara he saw the World Food Programme (WFP) in action and reiterated the need for WFP and other partners to have access to all areas so they can provide vital humanitarian aid.