UK pledges support for over a million people in East Africa

 

• UK yesterday pledged vital life-saving assistance to East Africa to support vulnerable communities

• New funding will support people facing the drastic impacts of drought, conflict, food insecurity and climate change in countries across East Africa including Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya

• UK support will also provide humanitarian assistance to Sudan, to help address people’s urgent needs, one month after conflict broke out in the country

The Minister for Development and Africa Andrew Mitchell announced humanitarian aid to East Africa at the UN Horn of Africa pledging conference on Wednesday 24 May.

This vital assistance will enable the UN and NGO partners to continue the delivery of cash support; the delivery of water and sanitation services; and the supply of specialised health and nutrition treatment.

As vulnerable countries are impacted by more frequent and more severe weather events, the UK is supporting them to adapt and build resilience for the long term. Funding will boost the climate resilience of communities and provide support for those displaced due to drought and extreme weather.

The conference is co-hosted by the UK, Qatar, Italy, the US and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). In a video statement to the UN, Minister Andrew Mitchell will pledge £143 million for East Africa, £96m of which is going to the drought-impacted countries of the Horn.

The Minister called for long-term solutions to break the cycle of crises afflicting the region, sustainable development, and adapting to climate change.

The Minister for Development and Africa Andrew Mitchell said: 

“The Horn of Africa faces one of the most devastating humanitarian crises in the world. The catastrophic drought over the last two years has brought unimaginable suffering and millions cannot access adequate water for drinking, cooking and cleaning.

“As we’ve sadly seen in Sudan, conflict across East Africa is tearing apart communities, with women and girls bearing the brunt of the violence.

“Our funding could not come at a more critical moment, and it is clear that we must act now, and do all we can to save lives.”

Across the Horn of Africa around 43 million people require humanitarian aid due to the devastating effects of conflict and climate change. The Horn of Africa has also experienced a drought of an unprecedented nature following five seasons of failed rains, with livelihood systems collapsing, millions displaced and hundreds of thousands of children forced to drop out of school.

The new UK funding will address the crisis by supporting victims of gender-based violence, providing families with access to basic services, nutritional support, emergency food and cash assistance and sustainable water supplies. As part of the UK, US and Qatar’s pledges made today, all three countries have partnered to commit £8.4 million for drought response and resilience support in Somalia.

The UK is also pursuing all avenues to secure safe humanitarian access in Sudan, and UK support pledged today includes £21.7 million to help address people’s urgent needs.

The UK continues to call on the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces to uphold international humanitarian law and allow life-saving humanitarian access in Sudan.