Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the remarks by the Executive Director of the World Food Programme that there will be increased demand for global humanitarian assistance as a result of the conflict in Ukraine; and what plans they have to increase the UK's humanitarian assistance over the next 12 months.

Global humanitarian need and acute food insecurity is at an all-time high, driven by covid-19, climate change and conflict - with over 300 million people in need of assistance in 2022 and 43 million people living a step away from famine. Until Russia's invasion Ukraine's exports of food and fertiliser were feeding up to 400 million people worldwide. Russia's war is preventing these exports and causing food, energy and other commodity prices to rise, as well as diverting humanitarian resources from pre-existing crises. This is hitting the world's poorest hardest, and increasing global humanitarian needs.

The UK is a major humanitarian donor. We have announced a package to address critical rising food insecurity in the Horn of Africa including £25 million to Somalia, £88 million in Yemen, and pledged £286 million to meet needs in Afghanistan. The UK and our partners secured the largest ever World Bank financial commitment to developing countries affected by Russia's invasion - $170 billion over the next 15 months. The UK has also increased support through the Bank with approximately £730 million in financial guarantees so the Bank can lend more to Ukraine without taking resources from the rest of the world.