Written Evidence May. 15 2024
Inquiry: Climate change and securityFound: faster sea level rise, more frequent and extreme weather events including heat waves, floods and droughts
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what support his Department is providing to Zimbabwe to help with the drought in that country.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK commends the Government of Zimbabwe for identifying the potential impacts of the El Nino induced drought and are working with humanitarian agencies, the UN and donor nations and the Government of Zimbabwe to understand plans and options for international support if needed. Africa Risk Capacity, a UK-supported African Union-led disaster risk insurance mechanism, has confirmed that several pay outs will be triggered in Zimbabwe as a result of the declaration of a state of emergency. Additionally, the UK-funded START Network programme will shortly release funds for anticipatory actions to support the drought response.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports from UNICEF that the 2023–24 El Niño phenomenon has led to the president of Malawi declaring a state of disaster in 23 out of the 28 districts in the country.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We share UNICEF's assessment that the El Nino phenomenon has contributed to failed rains across Southern Africa, resulting in serious drought in both Zambia and Malawi, which in turn will have a serious impact on children and the most vulnerable. We welcome the swift actions of Presidents Hichilema (Zambia) and Chakwera (Malawi) in declaring a state of national disaster and emergency across Zambia and within 23 out of 28 districts in Malawi.
In Zambia, the UK is committing to the rapid expansion of the Social Cash Transfer scheme to reduce food insecurity for an additional 6 million people and pivoting our existing nutrition programmes to expand access to treatment. We deployed a UK Humanitarian Stabilisation Operations Team to support the Government of Zambia's drought response coordination. In Malawi, the UK has contributed to the Government's investment into disaster risk financing instruments which will provide an immediate response when triggered. The Malawian Government is currently preparing its own El Nino Response Plan which will outline further international assistance requirements. The UK will continue to monitor the situation closely.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports from UNICEF that the 2023–24 El Niño phenomenon has led to the declaration of a national emergency in Zambia.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We share UNICEF's assessment that the El Nino phenomenon has contributed to failed rains across Southern Africa, resulting in serious drought in both Zambia and Malawi, which in turn will have a serious impact on children and the most vulnerable. We welcome the swift actions of Presidents Hichilema (Zambia) and Chakwera (Malawi) in declaring a state of national disaster and emergency across Zambia and within 23 out of 28 districts in Malawi.
In Zambia, the UK is committing to the rapid expansion of the Social Cash Transfer scheme to reduce food insecurity for an additional 6 million people and pivoting our existing nutrition programmes to expand access to treatment. We deployed a UK Humanitarian Stabilisation Operations Team to support the Government of Zambia's drought response coordination. In Malawi, the UK has contributed to the Government's investment into disaster risk financing instruments which will provide an immediate response when triggered. The Malawian Government is currently preparing its own El Nino Response Plan which will outline further international assistance requirements. The UK will continue to monitor the situation closely.
Mentions:
1: Patrick Grady (SNP - Glasgow North) In the United Kingdom, we are experiencing both floods and droughts, and the situation puts massive pressure - Speech Link
Written Evidence Mar. 05 2024
Inquiry: PharmacyFound: disrupted supply of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) (e.g. crop failures, floods, heatwaves, droughts
Found: Recent events, such as successive severe storms, high temperatures and droughts experienced in 2022,
Written Evidence May. 15 2024
Inquiry: Climate change and securityFound: in warmer and wetter environments the significance of extreme weather events including heat waves, droughts
Written Evidence May. 15 2024
Inquiry: Climate change and securityFound: baselines, and increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as heat waves, droughts
Sep. 18 2023
Source Page: OSCE Prague Forum on Economy and Environment 2023: UK statementFound: temperatures are forecast to rise disproportionately, increasing risks of floods from glacier melt, as well as droughts