Since the war in Tigray broke out in 2019, the UK has allocated more than £400 million in humanitarian support to Ethiopia. In May 2023 the UK co-chaired a pledging event for the Horn of Africa that raised around £1.9 billion for nearly 32 million people across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. £42 million of this is additional support the UK has pledged for Ethiopia, which will be allocated according to need through trusted partners.

The UK, in coordination with partners including the African Union, US, EU and the UN, is supporting the Federal Government of Somalia's programme to counter al-Shabaab and pursue economic and political reform. As the Debt Relief Champion for Somalia, we have helped unlock almost $2 billion of investments from the World Bank since 2020, strengthening Somalia's economy by improving the business environment, building critical infrastructure and improving access to finance. Since 2022, the UK has committed £47.5million to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), which has played a key role in supporting Somalia's security from the threat posed by al-Shabaab. The UK, alongside the European Commission and others, was instrumental in tackling the threat of piracy off the coast of Somalia and bringing a dramatic decline in attacks, including through its leading role in the Contact Group for Piracy and funding for the UN Office on Drugs and Crime's Counter Piracy Programme.

We do not publicly disclose the names of Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) partners in Syria for the interests of security. The UK works closely with UN, Syrian and International NGO partners to ensure aid reaches those in need within Syria. Since 2012 the UK has provided over £3.8 billion to the Syria crisis, our largest response to a single humanitarian crisis.

The situation in Rukban is an issue the UK Government continues to discuss with the UN as well as raising in multilateral fora such as the UN Security Council and the Humanitarian Task Force in Geneva. We will continue to advocate for unimpeded, unfettered aid access across the whole of Syria including Rukban and remain grateful for the UN's continued work to find a solution to an extremely challenging situation. We will continue to engage with the UN to ensure that any movement of camp residents to other parts of Syria is safe, voluntary and informed.

The UK is committed to tackling the challenge of increased insecurity and rising humanitarian needs across northern Syria. In north-east Syria the UK is providing assistance via the UN and Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) partners and supports all available access modalities. Those include cross-border and cross-line assistance to reach those most in need across Syria, including women and children. In the first half of financial year 2022/23, the UK provided over 360,000 medical consultations, ensured 157,000 pupils received access to formal education, provided 32,000 people with sexual and reproductive services and provided 28,000 people with sexual and gender based violence services.

Underlying humanitarian conditions in Syria are a product of Assad's violent campaign against the Syrian people. Even before the 6 February earthquake, the UN assessed that 15.3 million Syrians required humanitarian assistance. The UK has committed £3.8 billion in humanitarian aid to Syria since 2012. Since the earthquake, we have pledged £43.3 million. The UK will not lift sanctions targeting the regime until they change behaviour and engage in the UN political process. UK sanctions do not target humanitarian aid, food, or medical supplies. On 15 February, we issued two General Licences, which build on existing humanitarian provisions, to further facilitate relief efforts in Syria following the earthquake.

The UK is extremely concerned by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. The crisis is not only making life untenable for the majority of the Venezuelan population of 28.4 million people but has led around 6 million Venezuelans to flee the country since 2016.

Since 2019, the UK Government has spent £37m in humanitarian aid in response to the Venezuelan crisis. These funds have provided life-saving support to very vulnerable people, much of it focused on health and nutrition, water and sanitation, both inside Venezuela and in other countries in the region, among them Colombia. Inside Venezuela, our funds have made an important contribution to childhood vaccinations and strengthening the capacity of the country to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to the entire population. We have also supported multi-sector projects implemented by 17 national Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and 8 international NGOs through the Venezuela Humanitarian Fund, which we played a key role in establishing in 2020. The UK continues to be the largest contributor to the United Nations' Central Emergency Response Fund and provides considerable funding to other multilateral humanitarian agencies. We are also a founding donor of the Venezuela Humanitarian Fund, which is increasing funding to Venezuelan NGOs.

The UK welcomes the two-month truce in Yemen, brokered by the UN on 1 April and the creation of a Presidential Leadership Council on 6 April. After over seven long years of conflict, a negotiated political settlement is the only way to bring long-term stability to Yemen and end the humanitarian suffering. The UK will continue to use its diplomatic relations and role as penholder on Yemen in the UN Security Council to support efforts towards political dialogue and peace. The UK continues to encourage the conflict parties to engage constructively with UN-led peace efforts. As part of the truce agreement, there has been an increase in the number of fuel ships entering Yemeni ports, bringing much needed relief to the Yemeni population.

The key principle underpinning the UK's approach to supporting displaced people is the need for longer-term interventions that go beyond solely lifesaving humanitarian support. This includes a focus on providing opportunities for sustainable jobs, livelihoods, education, and access to other essential services for people affected by conflict, displaced people, and the communities that host them. The UK has been consistently one of the largest bilateral humanitarian donors globally. In response to the increasingly protracted nature of displacement crises, the UK works with international partners on innovative long-term solutions.

The UK works to ensure that all humanitarian assistance reaches the most in need, including those who may be vulnerable because of their religion or belief. As a core part of the UK pledge of up to £1.3 billion to respond to COVID-19, we are working to encourage state security responses that are transparent, proportionate and fair, and that respect international humanitarian law and promote human rights.

We work closely with our operational partners to ensure they rigorously assess vulnerability and needs, including those linked with religious identity and membership of faith communities as part of the humanitarian response process. This is enhanced by humanitarian actors speaking directly to those impacted, including members of affected communities and Faith-Based Organisations, and by reviewing historical data, media findings and other reports.

The UK welcomes the announcement of a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza on 20 May. As the Prime Minister has made clear, leaders in the region must now work to find a durable solution to the Israeli Palestinian conflict that prevents terrorism, ends the cycle of violence, and delivers a sustainable and just peace based on a two state solution.

It is also important now for Israel to facilitate rapid humanitarian access in and out of Gaza. The UK will provide £3.2m of UK aid to the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, responding to UNRWA's emergency flash appeal, launched on 19 May. The funding will help provide food, water, and emergency shelter to Palestinians affected by the recent escalation in violence in Gaza.

Securing aid cross-border aid access into Syria is a top priority for the UK. The UK regularly raises the issue of UN-mandated cross-border access, and we are using our position at the UN Security Council, and in bilateral discussions, to push for greater aid access into Syria and to urge renewal of Resolution 2533. Russia, backed by China, has reduced cross-border aid access into Syria, placing political support for the Assad regime above lifesaving support for the Syrian people.

The UK is clear that assistance via Damascus alone will not sufficiently meet the needs across the whole of Syria and so remains committed to the delivery of aid to those most in need in Syria, through all mechanisms. After a decade of conflict, it is essential to renew the resolution to avoid further humanitarian disaster.

The UK regularly raises the issue of UN-mandated crossborder access, including most recently on 25 February, at the UN Security Council. We continue to use our position at the UN Security Council and in bilateral discussions, informed by regular consultation with UN agencies, United Nations Under-SecretaryGeneral for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock, human rights organisations and others, to push for greater aid access into Syria and to urge renewal of Resolution 2533.

We are appalled that Russia, backed by China, has twice sought to block cross-border aid access into Syria, placing political support for the Assad regime above lifesaving support for the Syrian people. The UK remains committed to the delivery of aid to those most in need in Syria, through all mechanisms. We strongly support the renewal of UNSCR 2533 and are urging members of the UN Security Council to vote in favour of renewing the resolution to avoid further humanitarian disaster.

The UK is a long-term supporter of the United Nations Relief Works Agency (UNRWA), and we recognise UNRWA's unique mandate from the UN General Assembly to protect and provide protection and core services to Palestinian refugees across the Middle East. We are providing £51 million to UNRWA in 2020/2021. Reports that UNRWA may not be able to pay the salaries of its staff in full are very worrying. To that end, the UK is working with UNRWA and other donors to improve UNRWA's financial viability. This includes broadening UNRWA's donor base, encouraging the full disbursement of pledges and support through multi-year funding.

The UK regularly tracks the situation at Al Hol and other internally displaced persons' (IDP) camps, and we are aware of the Syrian Democratic Council's (SDC) announcement on 4 October, regarding reintegrating Syrians from Al Hol camp into local communities. We understand these transfers will take place gradually, and are raising with the SDC the need to ensure returns are voluntary, informed and in line with International Humanitarian Law. The UK continues to support IDP/refugee camps in North East Syria, funding UN agencies and NGO partners to provide life-saving aid such as food, water and shelter. The UK has committed £33 million to help humanitarian agencies respond to the COVID-19 threat in Syria, including in IDP camps where cramped, challenging conditions make social distancing and cleaning measures difficult to implement. The FCDO has rigorous and robust checks to ensure aid goes to the people that need it, delivers value for money and protects against aid diversion. We also use third-party independent monitors to support our delivery partners and verify that aid is being delivered as intended.

In Iraq, there are up to 252,000 people living in IDP camps, which we continue to support with shelter, medical care and clean water. We are concerned about recent camp closures in Baghdad, and continue to raise this with the authorities and UN leadership. We are working closely with the Government of Iraq and the UN to support durable solutions for those displaced by conflict which are safe, voluntary, sustainable, and non-discriminatory.

We have not made an assessment of the number of casualties, damage to houses, schools and infrastructure outside of the information that has been provided by both parties. We continue to evaluate what support the UK provides to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The UK is lobbying for the renewal of UN Security Council Resolution 2504, permitting cross-border aid delivery into North West Syria, before its expiry on 10 July. We are regularly raising our view at UN fora, and are using bilateral meetings to encourage other donors to support this position. It is essential that humanitarian actors continue to have the unhindered access they need to address severe needs.

Additionally, the loss of Yaroubiya crossing in January has created several critical gaps in the North East Syria healthcare response, which have not been filled by UN cross-line aid delivery from Damascus. This is particularly concerning in light of COVID-19, and we are therefore lobbying for the reinstatement of Yaroubiya crossing. Similarly, we are raising this at meetings involving the UN and other donors, and will continue to push for cross-line and cross-border aid delivery in Northern Syria.

We welcome efforts to address the humanitarian situation in Libya. The UK remains deeply concerned by the ongoing conflict in Libya and by the potential for COVID-19 to have a devastating impact. We urge all parties to the conflict to de-escalate and engage with the UN and the humanitarian community to reduce the impact on the population and to allow an effective response to the shared threat of COVID-19. The UK continues to support humanitarian response in Libya, including in the healthcare sector.

The UK is one of the largest contributors to the international humanitarian response and has committed £261 million in humanitarian support to Iraq since 2014 through multilateral and NGO partners. This has provided a vital lifeline to millions who are most urgently in need following the conflict with Daesh. The UK does not currently provide direct funding to Makhmur camp. We are in regular contact with the Government of Iraq and Kurdistan Regional Government to ensure humanitarian assistance reaches those most in need and that authorities at all levels seek durable solutions for those displaced by conflict, which are safe, voluntary and sustainable.