Written question asked by Liz McInnes (Labour) on Tuesday, 11 June 2019, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 13 June 2019. It was answered by Harriett Baldwin (Conservative) on Tuesday, 18 June 2019 on behalf of the Department for International Development.

Somalia: Droughts

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian effect of the drought in Somalia; and what steps his Department is taking to support those at risk of starvation.

Answer: The drought in Somalia and subsequent widespread crop failure and decline in livestock productivity has resulted in a projected increase in people experiencing acute food insecurity, from 1.7 million to 2.2 million by August 2019. The UK is a leading donor to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Somalia and my Department has recently allocated £8 million to support both emergency, life-saving interventions, and longer-term resilience actions focusing on sustainable water supply and the protection of livelihoods. This brings our total humanitarian spend in Somalia in 2019 to £40 million. We continue to actively monitor the situation and are considering what further support might be required.

Secondary information