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- Life-saving healthcare, water, food and climate-change protection to help half a million people, the announcement was made by the UK development minister during a visit to Somalia.
- The Rt Hon Andrew Mitchell MP, in his first visit in his new role, pledged emergency aid in response to the country’s devastating drought.
- The funding package also includes international partnerships with Germany and Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief).
The UK is providing vital aid to Somalia in response to the increased risk of drought – as climate change threatens to make such crises more frequent.
Andrew Mitchell, the UK development minister, announced the new support on a visit to Somalia – his first overseas visit since his appointment.
The funds will tackle drought, food insecurity, gender-based violence and boost climate resilience, reaching more than 480,000 of the country’s most vulnerable people. The new funding will also help Somali troops in their fight against al-Shabaab.
The humanitarian crisis in Somalia continues to worsen, with 300,000 people estimated to be in famine and 1.8 million children at risk of malnutrition by the end of the year.
The UK is working with UN and NGO partners to address this humanitarian crisis, to ensure life-saving health and nutrition aid, cash transfers to buy food, safe drinking water, and emergency shelter for people displaced by drought.
The fund will also protect children from violence and exploitation and provide mental health support to women subject to gender-based violence.
Minister for Development, the Rt Hon Andrew Mitchell MP said:
Somalia faces the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with millions of people in desperate need of aid, including more than half a million children under the age of 5 who are at risk of death.
I visited Somalia in 2011 at the height of the drought and was horrified by the loss of life.
The UK is committed to providing immediate support to the most vulnerable people who need it most. But we cannot work alone. The international community needs to do all it can to help prevent droughts and better prepare the country for such disasters in the future.
During a 2-day visit to Somalia, Minister Michel met with the President of Somalia and other government figures, as well as partners, to discuss how to meet immediate humanitarian needs and better prepare for future emergencies such as extreme weather.
He also saw first-hand the effects of drought on vulnerable populations.
Working with international partners and NGOs, the UK is stepping up humanitarian efforts to meet the most urgent needs while better equipping Somalia for future crises.
The UK has deepened its ties with Saudi Arabia to meet urgent humanitarian needs. This new partnership with Saudi Arabia has seen £1.7 million of the UK’s humanitarian funding package matched by Saudi Arabia’s KSRelief. This will promote the World Food Program and lead to food security and drought prevention programming.
The UK is also expanding this work with partners including Germany and the World Bank to put innovative disaster risk finance and insurance systems in place, particularly towards agricultural investments and drought response. This is part of the World Bank’s Horn of Africa Drive project and will provide long-term financial security for Somali communities and help them be better prepared to cope with the impact of climate change.
Background
During his 2-day visit, Minister Andrew Mitchell confirmed:
- £6.7 million in humanitarian aid funding including support for health, nutrition, water services, food security assistance and victims of gender-based violence
- Aid match funding of £1.7 million with Saudi Arabia’s KS Relief Fund which will go towards the World Food Programme.
- £3.8 million (matched by Germany) for a program linking support with access to financial services and insurance against drought to improve pastoralist livelihoods as part of the Global Shield initiative
- A £3 million fund was previously announced at the UN General Assembly to support the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The funding will increase the provision of support services to victims of crisis gender-based violence, and provide sexual reproductive health support to women in new Internally Displaced Person (IDP) sites. The fund plans to reach over 34,800 women
- £1.5 million to the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) Trust Fund to support Somali troops in the fight against al-Shabaab
This package of support takes total UK humanitarian, health and nutrition funding for Somalia to around £61.2 million this financial year. The UK has committed to spending a total of £156 million in humanitarian support for the crisis in East Africa this financial year.
Approximately 50% of Somalia’s population is in need of humanitarian assistance with 300,000 people estimated to be experiencing drought-like conditions by the end of the year. When the drought last hit Somalia, more than 250,000 people died – most of them young children.
Conflict and climate extremes, including floods and droughts, are major drivers of suffering in Somalia and the East Africa region. There have been 5 failed rainy seasons in a row and there is concern for the next March to May season. Over 68 million people across the East Africa region are in need of life-saving assistance.
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