Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what additional assistance they intend to provide to those countries in East Africa affected by COVID-19 to mitigate the impact of the pandemic and the increase in locusts currently swarming in that region.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
We are deeply concerned about the combined impacts of COVID-19 and the locust outbreak in East Africa. Millions of people already face food insecurity in the region caused by humanitarian disasters and conflict. These outbreaks will exacerbate these challenges.
We are using UK aid to mitigate new health, humanitarian and economic risks across Africa and have pledged £744 million of UK aid globally to end the COVID-19 pandemic.
The UK is also supporting the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) Regional Emergency Appeal for the locust outbreak and has contributed £7 million for the spraying of pesticides on the ground and by air. We will continue taking proactive action, including adapting our existing programmes to meet urgent needs.
Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to assist the Food and Agricultural Organisation's support to the areas in East Africa affected by locust swarms and breeding, in particular, assistance with early warning forecasts and alerts on the timings, scale and location of such swarm invasions and breeding.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
We are deeply concerned about the devastating locust outbreak in East Africa. It is destroying crops, livelihoods and essential food supplies. Millions of people already face food insecurity in the region and this outbreak will exacerbate this challenge. A supercomputer funded by UK aid is helping countries in East Africa to tackle devastating locust outbreaks by tracking the insects’ movements around the continent. The computer based in Kenya uses data to predict where the locusts will move to and develop early warning systems so communities can prepare.
The UK has provided £5 million to support the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Regional Emergency Appeal for the locust outbreak. UK aid is also helping to tackle this outbreak though the UN Central Emergency Response Fund, which has released £7.5 million. Our support is having an immediate impact. With UK aid backed funding, the FAO is spraying pesticides on the ground and by air to prevent further damage to crops and protect livelihoods. The Desert Locust Information System continues surveillance and provision of early warning information for affected countries. We believe that quick action now provides the best chance of halting the spread of locusts before the next breeding cycle when staple crops are in the field between March and July.
We continue to monitor the situation closely and stand ready to help further. DFID’s existing humanitarian and development programming in the region is working to address current food insecurity and poverty challenges and is ready to flex to respond to this crisis. As rising temperatures due to climate change make such events across Africa more likely, we are also helping communities adapt longer term to climate shocks.
Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have received any requests for assistance to support aerial spraying and other control activities to counter the locust swarms affecting East Africa from the affected nations; and how they have responded to any such requests.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
We are deeply concerned about the devastating locust outbreak in East Africa. It is destroying crops, livelihoods and essential food supplies. Millions of people already face food insecurity in the region and this outbreak will exacerbate this challenge. A supercomputer funded by UK aid is helping countries in East Africa to tackle devastating locust outbreaks by tracking the insects’ movements around the continent. The computer based in Kenya uses data to predict where the locusts will move to and develop early warning systems so communities can prepare.
The UK has provided £5 million to support the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Regional Emergency Appeal for the locust outbreak. UK aid is also helping to tackle this outbreak though the UN Central Emergency Response Fund, which has released £7.5 million. Our support is having an immediate impact. With UK aid backed funding, the FAO is spraying pesticides on the ground and by air to prevent further damage to crops and protect livelihoods. The Desert Locust Information System continues surveillance and provision of early warning information for affected countries. We believe that quick action now provides the best chance of halting the spread of locusts before the next breeding cycle when staple crops are in the field between March and July.
We continue to monitor the situation closely and stand ready to help further. DFID’s existing humanitarian and development programming in the region is working to address current food insecurity and poverty challenges and is ready to flex to respond to this crisis. As rising temperatures due to climate change make such events across Africa more likely, we are also helping communities adapt longer term to climate shocks.
Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the locust swarms in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia on (1) food security and agricultural livelihoods in the affected areas, and (2) their own programmes in (a) those countries, and (b) the region generally.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
We are deeply concerned about the devastating locust outbreak in East Africa. It is destroying crops, livelihoods and essential food supplies. Millions of people already face food insecurity in the region and this outbreak will exacerbate this challenge. A supercomputer funded by UK aid is helping countries in East Africa to tackle devastating locust outbreaks by tracking the insects’ movements around the continent. The computer based in Kenya uses data to predict where the locusts will move to and develop early warning systems so communities can prepare.
The UK has provided £5 million to support the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Regional Emergency Appeal for the locust outbreak. UK aid is also helping to tackle this outbreak though the UN Central Emergency Response Fund, which has released £7.5 million. Our support is having an immediate impact. With UK aid backed funding, the FAO is spraying pesticides on the ground and by air to prevent further damage to crops and protect livelihoods. The Desert Locust Information System continues surveillance and provision of early warning information for affected countries. We believe that quick action now provides the best chance of halting the spread of locusts before the next breeding cycle when staple crops are in the field between March and July.
We continue to monitor the situation closely and stand ready to help further. DFID’s existing humanitarian and development programming in the region is working to address current food insecurity and poverty challenges and is ready to flex to respond to this crisis. As rising temperatures due to climate change make such events across Africa more likely, we are also helping communities adapt longer term to climate shocks.
Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the deployment of the British Armed Forces to provide engineering and logistical advice and support to the region affected by Cyclone Idai; and whether they have received any requests for such assistance.
Answered by Lord Bates
The UK Government has deployed an RAF A400M Atlas aircraft to deliver up to 20 tonnes of UK aid supplies in support of the cyclone response in Mozambique. DFID, as the lead UK department is working closely with the Ministry of Defence and continues to keep additional options for UK assistance under review.
Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with international relief agencies in order to coordinate assistance to the region affected by Cyclone Idai.
Answered by Lord Bates
The UK is working closely with international partners to address immediate needs across the region. On 21st March, the Secretary of State for International Development spoke with the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and called on him to ensure that the UN mobilises quickly and effectively. Ministers are in touch with other key international figures to ensure an effective response. UK staff on the ground are working closely with relief agencies to coordinate the response, and senior officials are in regular communication with their counterparts across the international community.
Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made in the aftermath of Cyclone Idai of the logistical needs of (1) Malawi, (2) Mozambique, and (3) Zimbabwe; and in respect of each, what has been their response.
Answered by Lord Bates
Cyclone Idai has devastated parts of Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe. There have so far been over 700 fatalities and the UN estimates that up to 2.6m people may be affected. Mozambique has been the hardest-hit with almost 17,400 houses destroyed and up to 350,000 people at risk due to rising water levels. The UK Government is providing up to £22 million in support, including £4 million to match the UK public’s generous contributions to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s appeal. In Mozambique, UKaid is supporting the World Food Programme to feed 400,000 people and we have sent life-saving relief supplies including tents and thousands of shelter kits. In Malawi, we are helping 140,000 people to feed themselves and in Zimbabwe we are providing essential health supplies, hygiene kits and child protection support. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and stand ready to provide further support if needed.
Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the impact of sanctions on Zimbabwe on the relief effort in response to Cyclone Idai.
Answered by Lord Bates
The UK’s focus in responding to Cyclone Idai in Zimbabwe is on providing essential health supplies, hygiene kits and child protection support. We continue to monitor the situation closely and stand ready to provide further support as needed. The EU retains sanctions against former President Robert Mugabe, his wife Grace Mugabe, and the company Zimbabwe Defence Industries. We consider that sanctions have been an appropriate response to the political violence of the last 15 years. They do no damage to the wider economy or to the people of Zimbabwe and have no impact on the UK’s relief effort.
Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to provide humanitarian assistance to (1) Cameroonian refugees, (2) internally displaced persons, and (3) other refugees in Cameroon.
Answered by Lord Bates
We are providing at least £5 million in humanitarian assistance this year to refugees and internally displaced persons as a result of the Lake Chad Basin crisis, and to refugees from the Central African Republic in Cameroon. This includes basic support in nutrition, health, food security and livelihoods. 21,291 Cameroonian refugees in Nigeria are being supported by UNHCR, which DFID supports through their core budget. Additionally, the EU Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations is providing €300,000, which the UK also contributes to.
Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of disturbances in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon on the development of that country.
Answered by Lord Bates
The disturbances in the Anglophone region were the focus of conversations between the Foreign Secretary and the Cameroonian Prime Minister Yang at the recent Commonwealth Conference, and the Minister for Africa’s visit in February, where she visited the Anglophone region. There is currently no official assessment of the longer-term development impact of unrest in the Anglophone region but the UN have registered 21,291 refugees in Nigeria and estimate there are 150,000 internally displaced people.