Vicky Ford MP
Minister for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean
King Charles Street London
SW1A 2AH
18 July 2022
Lord Alton of Liverpool House of Lords London
SW1A 0PW
Dear Lord Alton,
Thank you for your correspondence of 16 June to the Minister of State for Pacific & the Environment, Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park, about the situation in the Horn of Africa. I am replying as the Minister for Africa.
Across East Africa millions are facing huge pressures due to an unprecedented fourth consecutive season of failed rains, conflict (including the impacts of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine), COVID-19 and flooding.
It is extremely concerning that across East Africa over 48 million people face severe food insecurity, of which 700,000 are facing famine-like conditions in South Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia.
The ongoing drought in the Horn of Africa is causing water scarcity, alarming rates of malnutrition and mass displacement, and has led to the deaths of more than seven million livestock, causing the collapse of markets.
By September, the drought could leave 20 million people severely food insecure and there are concrete warnings that the October – December rains might fail. Irrespective, severe humanitarian needs will persist throughout 2022 and into 2023.
The UK is a major humanitarian donor to the East Africa region and UK-funded activities are making a difference and saving lives.
For example, in Kenya, in response to the ongoing drought, 26,000 children will receive life-saving nutritional assistance thanks to the UK’s support. In southern and eastern regions of Ethiopia a further 200,000 people will receive similar urgently needed aid. In 2021/22 the UK provided over £230 million to support people in East Africa affected by drought, conflict, and flooding.
This includes announcements in early 2022 to enable humanitarian agencies to take early action and scale up drought response activities.
The UK played a critical role in convening the recent UN Horn of Africa Drought Roundtable, which took place in late April in Geneva. This included working with states in the region and the UN to ensure appropriate levels of participation. It helped to bring much needed focus on the drought and it mobilised roughly US $400 million in new funding.
At April’s UN roundtable event in Geneva I announced a further £25 million in new funding for 2022/23.
This will provide vital support to almost a million people across Somalia, including cash to help families buy food, provision of water and sanitation facilities critical to preventing the spread of disease, and urgently needed health and nutrition treatment.
This is part of an initial allocation of £45.85 million of support across Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan, with further funds to follow over the course of the coming year.
The UK is using our political and diplomatic influence to bring other stakeholders to the table.
Last week I wrote to David Malpass, the World Bank’s President, to highlight the gravity of needs across the region and the shortage of humanitarian funding. I asked him to set out how the World Bank will address immediate needs and stressed the urgency of addressing humanitarian issues as well as supporting long-term requirements.
If not, long-term poverty alleviation efforts will falter. On 22 June I also met with representatives from UK NGOs in the form of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) to discuss the crisis in East Africa. I also attended, on 24 June, a recent ministerial conference on global food security in Berlin, where I highlighted to partner countries the need for a greater focus on East Africa.
The UK is also using its leadership role to push for improved performance of humanitarian systems across the region. This includes stronger planning and prioritisation and mobilising longer term development funds to tackle the root causes of increasingly severe climatic shocks.
Our response to these pressing humanitarian challenges builds on long-established resilience building programmes. In Kenya, this includes support to the Hunger Safety Programme, which has provided 600,000 people in drought prone areas with regular financial assistance.
In Ethiopia, the UK funded Productive Safety Net Programme has benefitted some eight million people via financial welfare provision and community public works projects. In Somalia the UK has also been providing long-term support to internally displaced persons. These programmes, coupled with additional investments, have enabled the UK to reach nearly eight million people.
Yours sincerely,
Vicky Ford MP
Minister for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean
