Written question asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench) on Monday, 18 September 2023, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 2 October 2023. It was answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Conservative) on Tuesday, 3 October 2023 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

World Food Programme: Finance

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of analysis by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) published on 12 September describing “an unprecedented funding crisis” in food assistance; and what steps they plan to take, if any, to respond to the WFP’s summary of the consequences of scaling back of humanitarian assistance at “a time when acute food insecurity has soared to record levels”.

Answer: We share WFP's alarm at their analysis describing an "unprecedented funding crisis" in food assistance and the extraordinarily difficult decisions that WFP has to take in order to address it, including reducing rations. The UK supports WFP's efforts to diversify its donor base to fill current funding gaps, and the Agency's increased focus on innovative partnerships and solutions - including with the private sector and International Financial Institutions. The UK is continuing to prioritise its support to the humanitarian agencies, including core, unearmarked funding which supports rapid responses, underfunded emergencies and the populations that are most in need.

Secondary information