Written question asked by Ivan Lewis (Labour) on Tuesday, 27 March 2012, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 16 April 2012. It was answered by Andrew Mitchell (Conservative) on Monday, 16 April 2012 on behalf of the Department for International Development.

Somalia

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department plans to take to ensure long-term food security for the Somali people.

Answer: The UK is supporting activities to tackle food insecurity by improving opportunities for long-term jobs. These activities include removing constraints to developing the agriculture, livestock, and fishery sectors, and improving the investment climate and regulatory framework for investment. Since 2010 British aid has, for example, rehabilitated 280 km of irrigation canals, thus putting 22,247 hectares of land under irrigation, and provided over 4,000 youths and women with skills training within the agriculture and livestock sectors.The Department for International Development also continues to support humanitarian interventions to strengthen the food security of vulnerable people. Since July British aid has provided 75,000 people with seeds and fertiliser, and almost 560,000 people have benefited from activities aimed at improving the health of their livestock.

Secondary information