Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the number of people at risk of famine or severe food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa in the next 12 months.

The combined impact of the coronavirus pandemic, conflict, locust swarms and climate change have left millions of people worldwide facing extreme hunger over the past year. In sub-Saharan Africa 95.5 million people are projected to reach crisis levels of food insecurity by the middle of 2021. The risk of famine is real. Famine is likely already occurring in western Pibor, South Sudan whilst Burkina Faso and north-east Nigeria also face a credible threat of famine.

The UK has responded to this threat by launching our Famine Initiative, pledging £180 million dedicated to tackling food insecurity and to provide aid to more than 7 million vulnerable people in some of the world’s most dangerous places. The first Special Envoy for Famine Prevention has been appointed to drive UK efforts to prevent the immediate risk of famine and address mounting acute food insecurity through mobilising the international community to take strong, concerted and urgent action.