We are extremely concerned about the impact of the current drought on the food security situation in Ethiopia. Ethiopia has shown great strides in development but remains fragile in the face of extreme climate events such as El Nino. The Government of Ethiopia is fully engaged and prioritising efforts to address the needs, having spent many years building up crisis response systems. The international community is working in support of the Government and the UK along with the EU, is one of the leading donors to the response. We are in daily contact with the World Food Programme (WFP) which is delivering supplies to people affected in support of the Government. A joint Government-UN assessment has just taken place and we are also assessing that food supplies reach those affected. We have also recently provided additional funding to WFP’s relief programme.

DFID’s Permanent Secretary Mark Lowcock visited Ethiopia from 9-12 November, and discussed the situation with senior members of the Ethiopian Government and partners. We are urging others to do more to support the Government response to the crisis.

The UN World Food Programme has warned that Yemen is “one step away from famine”. Over 12 million people – almost half of the population - are struggling to find enough food to eat. Of those, 6 million people are facing severe food shortages. In Hodeidah city alone, UNICEF have warned that 96,000 children are starving and at risk of dying. The ongoing conflict continues to affect imports of commercial and humanitarian supplies – especially essential fuel, food and medicines - into Yemen and the distribution of food to those who need it most.

The UK is one of the largest donors to the crisis in Yemen and has announced £75 million to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, focused on the most urgent life-saving needs. UK aid is providing vital medical supplies, water, food and emergency shelter, as well as supporting UN work to co-ordinate the international humanitarian response.

Despite severe food shortages, there has not yet been a significant movement of people from Yemen to neighbouring countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Djibouti and Somalia have received the highest number of refugees since the escalation of the conflict in Yemen in March 2015.To improve the living conditions of migrants and refugees from Yemen in Djibouti, the UK is supporting the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organisation for Migration with in-kind assistance consisting of shelter kits, water containers, family kitchen sets, blankets, hygiene kits and solar lanterns. The UK is also providing a package of food, health and shelter assistance to refugees from Yemen in Somalia.

Ongoing humanitarian and development support is vital in order to avert famine in the most vulnerable areas. DFID spent £293 million on humanitarian assistance in the region over the last financial year, providing support to vulnerable people affected by food insecurity and conflict crises. We also use our development funding to support programmes that build resilience to climate change and strengthen early warning systems: for instance DFID has supported the strengthening of Ethiopia’s hydro-meteorological network enabling more accurate measurement and prediction of extreme weather and flooding.

The Department for International Development monitor the Famine Early Warning System (FEWS) reports and updates on a weekly basis. We also contribute to improving the methodology used for these assessments. FEWS produce many reports and cover many regions and countries, although not all of the countries at risk. When the risk of a significant worsening food security situation is reported by FEWS or others, DFID engages in a dialogue with other governments and with our operational partners on the best possible early response.

In places where we have a comparative advantage, such as countries where we have offices and an on-going bilateral programme, we fund food security, livelihood and nutrition interventions.

In countries most often at risk we also run resilience and food security programmes aimed at making communities more robust to future deterioration in food security or shocks such as droughts, floods and other natural disasters.