There are currently 2.6m internally displaced people in Somalia as a result of drought and conflict. DFID is providing £20m to help find lasting solutions for displaced people that includes: better housing, access to basic services and support in finding employment. The Department is also making an additional £30 million contribution to provide emergency, life-saving, assistance.

Al-Shabaab represents a serious threat to security and stability in Somalia. The UK provides support to countering that threat through the provision of stipends and training to the African Union Mission in Somalia, which has been successful in driving al-Shabaab out of key urban centres. The UK also has an extensive programme of support to Somalia's security sector reform, which is helping Somalia take responsibility for its own national security, and ensuring it is threatened less by al-Shabaab. The UK also plays a leading role in upholding and strengthening the UN's Somalia sanctions regime that takes measures against those who seek to prevent a peaceful political process and threaten regional stability.

Somalia is one of the toughest places in the world to deliver aid. We support the UN Security Council resolutions on Somalia that call for all parties, including Al Shabaab, to allow for the full, safe, rapid and unhindered access of aid to persons in need across Somalia in line with humanitarian principles. We also support the UN in condemning all attacks on humanitarian personnel. DFID has been commended by the Independent Commission for Aid Impact for reaching our intended beneficiaries, even in very remote areas of Somalia, as a result of advanced and innovative methods of monitoring suppliers.

We recently announced an additional £30 million contribution to provide emergency, life-saving, assistance. This brings our total humanitarian spend in Somalia in 2019 to £68 million. We are also building lasting solutions including sustainable water supply and protection of livelihoods to reduce the risks of food insecurity for vulnerable communities in the longer term.

​The UK welcomes steps to build confidence between the authorities in Mogadishu and Hargeisa, and is ready to support any well-founded dialogue process. UK policy remains that it is for Somalia and Somaliland to agree any new arrangements, and for neighbours in the region to take the lead in recognising them. UK officials joined a number of international partners and representatives from Mogadishu and Hargeisa at a recent informal meeting organised by the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue in Nairobi in June, which was aimed at encouraging progress.

The Secretary of State will build on the work of his predecessor and continue to have regular engagement with his US counterpart on counter-terrorism activities. We have not sought to make an independent assessment of the accuracy or impact of US strikes in Somalia; this would be challenging, given the difficult security environment. The main cause of civilian casualties in Somalia is the insurgency and indiscriminate terrorist activity of Al-Shabaab. Support from the US and others to the Federal Government of Somalia's efforts to counter terrorism is critical to limiting Al-Shabaab's capability to inflict harm.

​The UK is aware of the reported tensions between Somalia and Guinea. The two countries are responsible for their bilateral relationship. We are not aware of those relations having an effect on Somaliland. UK policy remains that it is for Somaliland and the Federal Government of Somalia to decide on a sustainable solution regarding their future. We continue to support and encourage plans for a peaceful dialogue between the two.

The UK plays a leading role in upholding and strengthening the UN Somalia sanctions regime in our capacity as drafters for all UN Security Council Resolutions on Somalia. The sanctions regime is central to international efforts to promote peace and security in Somalia, including through addressing the threat of Al-Shabaab. The regime includes an arms embargo with certain exemptions for humanitarian protection, the African Union Mission in Somalia, and the development of the Somali security forces. Within these exemptions, safeguards are in place to manage proliferation of arms. Our Embassy in Mogadishu regularly engages with the Somali authorities on the importance of compliance with the regime and to support the development of effective weapons and ammunition management. More broadly, the UK has an extensive programme of support to security sector reform in Somalia, helping Somalia take responsibility for its own national security and reduce conflict and terrorism.

As outlined in our answer to HL16250, the British Government is taking a number of actions to prevent conflict. In Sub-Saharan Africa, we are:

• Using funding from the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) which has led, for example, to the roll out of new peacekeeping-intelligence architecture in the three missions with the highest number of casualties - Mali, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Central African Republic. Our sizeable funding contribution to the UN is used as leverage to advocate for UN reform and improve the way it operates.

• Promoting peace and security in Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali through diplomacy and targeted support. We support UN and French security efforts through direct contributions to MINUSMA in Northern Mali and the deployment of three RAF Chinook helicopters to France’s Counter-Terrorism Operation Barkhane. We work closely with the G5 and other partners to provide life-saving assistance and protection to people on the frontline of conflict. The UK is also focusing on developing programmes to tackle the long-term drivers of instability and poverty.

• Urging all parties in Benin to engage in dialogue to overcome their differences and find a peaceful solution. We share the concerns of the EU, France, the US and the UN about acts of violence in Benin following the 28 April legislative elections.

• Regularly addressing the situation in the North-West and South-West (Anglophone) regions of Cameroon with international partners including the UN, EU, Commonwealth and African Union to encourage and support efforts to resolve the crisis. The UK remains deeply concerned about the deteriorating humanitarian and human rights situation in the Anglophone regions and the impact it is having on the lives of ordinary civilians. We have shared experiences with the Government of Cameroon (GoC) on conflict resolution; and remain ready to provide further support. We raised our concerns during briefings at the UN Security Council on 4 and 12 June, and led on a statement with Austria at the UN Human Rights Council in March, which was supported by 39 countries, calling on the GoC to establish a credible political dialogue to address root causes of the conflict.

• Providing the Central African Republic (CAR) with significant humanitarian spend (£63m since 2013) and core contributions to key multilateral organisations on the ground, such as the World Bank and the EU. Support to UN peacekeeping efforts include assessed contributions (£40.5m per annum to MINUSCA peacekeeping mission and €2m to the EU Training Mission).

• Pressing our long-term approach to stability in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), including through significant contributions to the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO). We are supporting security reforms, stabilisation and peace building initiatives through DFID programmes and the CSSF.

• Providing training to Nigeria’s armed forces combat insurgent groups, support communities to better respond and manage the effects of violent conflict, and to support the reintegration of former members of Boko Haram. We are also working closely with the EU, US and UN to provide technical support to the Nigerian Government to address the underlying causes of intercommunal violence affecting many parts of Nigeria, including the recently announced National Livestock Transformation Plan, which aims to mitigate escalating violence between pastoralists and farmers. We are currently reviewing how we might further assist the Nigerian Government in their efforts to tackle conflict in the northeast of the country.

• Building on the work of the UK-hosted London Conference on Somalia in 2017, which brought together Somalia’s key partners, including the UN, EU and a number of members of the Commonwealth. This established a set of agreements that provide the foundation for a more coherent international approach to Somalia with conflict resolution at its core. We are careful to ensure that all UK policies and programmes in Somalia maintain a focus on conflict sensitivity, and regularly undertake conflict analysis to support this. In particular, our work includes activity under the CSSF to address the drivers of conflict and build capacity at both local and regional levels.

• Supporting community-based peacebuilding programmes, in concert with the UN and other international partners, namely the African Union, in areas of instability and conflict in Sudan. The UK has a long standing role in supporting sustainable peace in Sudan. As a member of the Troika and bilaterally, we have supported progress in the Peace Process seeking to find a solution to the conflicts in Darfur and the Two Areas. In addition the UK plays a leading role in the UN Security Council, particularly as the penholder on the mandate for UNAMID – the African Union hybrid Mission in Darfur.

• The Minister for Africa met with Togolese President Gnassingbé and reiterated the importance of delivering 2020 Presidential elections on time and a return to inclusive politics. The UK continues to encourage all parties to avoid violence and respect the human rights of all Togolese people. The UK supports the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) brokered roadmap, along with the EU, which has seen Togo recently adopt two-term limits on presidential terms, in line with other ECOWAS states. The change however does not apply retrospectively and has been rejected by the opposition.

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.

The UK is a leading donor to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Somalia. We recently donated £8 million to UNICEF, WFP and FAO to provide clean water, food and nutrition to over 500,000 people most affected by the current drought. We continue to actively monitor the situation and are considering what further support might be required.

First, I pay huge tribute to the work of the APPG on Somaliland. As all Members of the House will know, Somaliland is a remarkable success story. Somalia itself has been through a very difficult situation, and Somaliland is a small miracle in a sea of difficulty. We worked very closely with Somaliland on the last presidential elections and we will be supporting the new parliamentary elections. On my last visit to Somaliland, I was lucky enough to meet the gentleman who is now President. There is much more we can do and I would be delighted to sit down with the hon. Gentleman to discuss all those issues.

I welcome the Secretary of State to his role and wholeheartedly agree with what he just said on climate change. Indeed, climate change has affected Somaliland. As he will know, I am secretary to the all-party group on Somaliland and we recently welcomed the Finance Minister. Can he say what steps his Department is taking to support the upcoming parliamentary elections in Somaliland and also the talks between Somaliland and Somalia? Will he meet the all-party group to discuss what we can do to support that fantastic country?

​Last year the UK attended the Somalia Partnership Forum where the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) strengthened its commitment to support the protection of human rights. Progress in implementing these commitments, in particular an independent National Human Rights Commission, forms a regular part of our dialogue with the FGS. The UK also provides a range of assistance that directly support human rights in Somalia such as working with Somali Security Forces to help provide protection for all civilians in accordance with international human rights standards.

Ultimately, a stable and inclusive political settlement is the most important aspect to ensure that Somalia is able to protect human rights for all its citizens, and to end impunity for perpetrators of abuse. This is why the UK is playing a leading role in supporting Somalia in working towards an inclusive constitution and to deliver one-person one-vote elections in 2021.

At the time of the US Executive Order, the Government sought an assurance from the US Government that the order would not affect British passport holders. We are pleased this assurance was achieved. US immigration policy more broadly is a matter for the US Government, just as immigration policy here is set by our Government. Our travel advice sets out our understanding of entry requirements currently in place.

The UK is supporting discussions in communities across Somalia to encourage an end to harmful practices, including child marriage. In 2018 our programme reached over 11,000 community members and 900 religious leaders across the country. We also continue to support UN efforts with the Ministry of Women and Human Rights to strengthen the implementation of policy and appropriate legislation aimed at protecting children from this practice.

Since the devastating famine in 2011, the UK has been helping families and communities in Somalia better cope with drought and other shocks by improving water supplies, agriculture, health care and promoting economic development. We have also invested in early warning systems to better identify when and where drought will hit hardest. This means that when help is needed it can be quicker and better targeted. All this work enabled us to play a leading role, along with Somali and international partners, in preventing famine during a major drought in 2017. It is also reducing significantly the impact of humanitarian disasters due to drought and other causes in Somalia in the future.