Stephen Phillips – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Phillips on 2015-11-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the Nigerian government on returning displaced people to areas previously in the control of Boko Haram.

James Duddridge

We welcome the recent progress made by the Nigerian armed forces in the fight against Boko Haram and the UK continues to support their efforts. The security situation in North East Nigeria however remains extremely fragile and it is not yet appropriate for many displaced people to return to their homes. The UK is supporting the Government of Nigeria and the UN to help those affected by the conflict and we have provided £5.5 million this year for the humanitarian response in North East Nigeria. Tackling Boko Haram will require a comprehensive approach that addresses the political, economic and development problems in North East Nigeria, in addition to a security response. We are supporting the Nigerian authorities to improve security and put the conditions in place to enable the safe return of internally displaced people to their homes.