Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2015-10-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to support the people of South Sudan who face starvation.

Baroness Verma

In 2014, the UK was one of the largest donors to the UN Humanitarian appeal which helped to avert famine and ensure that 3.5 million South Sudanese were reached with life-saving assistance. The 2015 appeal is ongoing, and 3.1 million people have been reached so far this year.

Overall, the UK is the second largest bilateral donor to the humanitarian response in South Sudan, having contributed £172 million since the start of the conflict in December 2013 and a further £88.9 million for South Sudanese refugees in the region. Limited access for humanitarian workers in the Greater Upper Nile states, particularly in Unity State, has increased the risk of famine; as noted in the recent Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). The UK consistently lobbies for all parties to allow unrestricted humanitarian access.

In addition, through DFID, the UK continues to deliver food security programmes in South Sudan, prioritising support to the most vulnerable people.