Written question asked by Mark Lazarowicz (Labour) on Thursday, 1 December 2011, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 5 December 2011. It was answered by Andrew Mitchell (Conservative) on Monday, 12 December 2011 on behalf of the Department for International Development.

Somalia: International Assistance

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government is taking to encourage parties in Somalia, including the Kenyan armed forces, to facilitate humanitarian access in South Somalia.

Answer: I have been asked to reply.I have regularly highlighted the importance of unhindered humanitarian access and actively pressed donors to step up their funding support to humanitarian organisations to meet priority needs wherever they are.The Prime Minister has also written to President Kibaki on 10 November stating that the Kenyan incursion into Somalia must comply with international law and should not impede humanitarian operations. Officials have followed up directly with the Kenyan security forces. UK officials have also raised concerns over humanitarian access in Mogadishu with the Somali Government and African Union Mission in Somalia. The ability of the UK to influence other non-state actors inside Somalia is more limited, but we continue to explore ways of indirectly doing so.

Secondary information