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The government has been called on to help thousands of people in the Ivory Coast who have fled their homes to escape escalating violence.
Shadow development minister Mark Lazarowicz said the humanitarian situation in the west African nation was becoming "more desperate by the day".
Unrest has continued since Ivory Coast's recent election.
Incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo has refused to hand over power to his rival Alassane Ouattara, who has been recognised internationally as the victor.
The British government has pledged £8m for humanitarian agencies in the Ivory Coast and a further £8m for neighbouring Liberia.
In an urgent question, Lazarowicz said that his party had welcomed the assistance that has been provided by the coalition government so far.
He asked how the UK planned to distribute the aid in more remote areas of the region, where it was reported "tens of thousands are trapped with no access to humanitarian assistance or medical supplies".
Responding for the government, international development minister Stephen O'Brien said aid agencies had been able to access the north and west of the Ivory Coast.
He told MPs: "The $32.7m UN appeal for the Ivory Coast for neighbouring countries, excluding Liberia, is currently fully funded but an appeal revision is under way reflecting the obviously significantly increased humanitarian needs.
"The $146m UN appeal for Liberia is just 41 per cent funded.
"Overall the response is only reaching a small part of those affected and displaced by the conflict."
Tony Baldry (Con, Banbury) stressed that it was important to encourage the African Union to find a peaceful solution and to develop the logistical capital to do more to sort out humanitarian problems in the future
He said more capacity is needed from Africa to tackle these challenges.
O'Brien said in the meantime the government must act to face the immediate challenges.
Simon Hughes (Lib Dem, Bermondsey and Old Southwark) called for assurance that the government is keeping in touch with the "small but not insignificant community" in Britain to enable their insights and information to be used to assist such a resolution.
In response, the minsister agreed that those links must be maintained.
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