The Chair of the International Development Committee, Sarah Champion MP, has exchanged letters with the prime minister and the foreign secretary about the disbursement of UK humanitarian aid to Ukraine. This exchange, including the latest letter – from the foreign secretary to Ms Champion – is published today.

The publication of these remarks come alongside an intensification of the Russian invasion of Ukraine as the former’s offensive to seize Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region has begun.

Ukraine president Volodymr Zelenskiy said in a video address today that: “Now we can already state that the Russian troops have begun the battle for the Donbas, for which they have been preparing for a long time,” stressing that a “significant part of the entire Russian army is now concentrated on this offensive”.

Sarah Champion MP said: “I am shocked and disappointed that less than £60m. of the UK’s promised £220m. humanitarian aid package for Ukraine has been delivered so far. I am quite sure the British people, who have given so quickly and generously, will also be astounded at the news.

“On 9 March, I urged the prime minister to make sure the UK’s pledges for Ukraine are disbursed quickly. Today, more than a month later, it is shameful that I have to repeat that urgent
appeal.

“More than 12 million people in Ukraine are in need of humanitarian support, as well as 4 million people who have fled the country. These people need our help now – not at some vague future
date.

“I am also extremely disappointed that the aid money for Ukraine is coming out of an aid budget that has already been slashed from 0.7% of UK national income to 0.5%. We know that this reduced budget means cruel cuts to aid programmes around the world. This includes cuts, for example, to projects aimed at helping women and girls in exceedingly difficult circumstances. The government itself said these projects for women and girls were their
priority – yet they were still cut.

“Given these circumstances the government should be less rigid in sticking to the 0.5% target for aid spending. This would allow the UK to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine without taking resources away from communities suffering from other conflicts, or extreme poverty, around the world”.