Speaking at an event on the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Horn of Africa at the UN General Assembly in New York, Ford announced £22.8 million to enable the UN and the NGO partners to continue lifesaving assistance through cash support; access to water and sanitation services; and the delivery of highly specialized health and nutrition treatment.
Ford called on the international community to act now to avert disaster, as concerns rise that a projected famine in Somalia could be worse than in 2011 when a quarter of a million people lost their lives.
Minister Ford said: ”The drought in the Horn of Africa is one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. Almost half of Somalia’s population is in dire need of help – with 300,000 people forecast to be in famine by October if assistance is not provided immediately. The UK is playing a leading role in the international response to this crisis. We are providing vital life-saving food security, health, nutrition, and water support to half a million people across Somalia, backed up by the funding announced.”
If the world is to avoid a repeat of the catastrophic drought which saw a quarter of million people die in Somalia a decade ago, the international community must act.
This package of support takes the UK’s total humanitarian, health, and nutrition funding for Somalia this financial year up to £52.8 million. The UK has allocated a total of £156 million in humanitarian support for crises in East Africa this financial year.