Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian effect of the drought in Somalia; and what steps his Department is taking to support those at risk of starvation.

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.