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Written question asked by Baroness Brown of Silvertown (Labour) on Thursday, 3 February 2022, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 7 February 2022. It was answered by Vicky Ford (Conservative) on Wednesday, 9 February 2022 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Violence

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support she is offering to (a) the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo, (b) local civil society organisations and (c) humanitarian agencies and NGOs in that country to (i) tackle the drivers of recent violence in Ituri province, (ii) provide security for people in IDP camps and other highly vulnerable groups in Ituri province and (iii) tackle the humanitarian consequences of recent attacks on IDP camps in Ituri province.

Answer

The UK has condemned the recent attack on Plaine Savo Internally Displaced People (IDP) site in Ituri, including through a UN Security Council Press Statement. The attack exacerbates an already severe humanitarian situation: due to violent attacks by armed groups, at least 864,000 people were displaced in Ituri in 2021 and over half the province's population suffer from acute food insecurity.

As one of the largest humanitarian donors, the UK has been providing life-saving support to tens of thousands of affected people in Ituri through our funding to UN, NGO and Red Cross partners. This support includes cash transfers, emergency water and sanitation, family tracing and reunification, and sensitising armed actors to their responsibilities under international humanitarian law. We are engaging directly with MONUSCO, the UN peacekeeping mission, on ways to improve the protection of civilians in Ituri province. The UK is also assisting efforts to reduce violence and build stability in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), including by working with civil society, the DRC Government and MONUSCO to address the drivers of conflict, demobilise armed groups and support dialogue and conflict resolution mechanisms between local communities.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
117760
Session
2021-22
Related items
Democratic Republic of Congo: Conflict Resolution
Friday, 25 February 2022
Written questions
House of Commons
Subjects
Violence Internally displaced people Democratic Republic of the Congo
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk