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<p>The Horn of Africa is experiencing one of its most severe droughts in history with
more than 15 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia assessed to be acutely
food insecure, according to the UN. A fourth consecutive - and unprecedented - season
of failed rains is contributing to growing water scarcity, alarming rates of malnutrition
and huge numbers of livestock deaths. Needs are grave in Somalia where an estimated
81,000 people are experiencing famine-like conditions. In Ethiopia 8 million people
are affected by drought, with 3.5 million people similarly affected in Kenya.</p><p>The
UK is a major humanitarian donor to the East Africa region. In 2022 the UK has provided
£72 million to support more than one million people in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and
South Sudan affected by conflict, drought and flooding. Across the region UK funded
humanitarian activities are making a difference and saving lives. In Kenya the UK
is providing 26,000 children with life-saving nutritional support. In Ethiopia a further
200,000 children and pregnant and lactating women in southern and eastern regions
will receive similar aid. The UK also played a critical role in convening the recent
UN Horn of Africa Drought Roundtable which took place in late April in Geneva. This
included working with states in the region and the UN to ensure appropriate levels
of participation. It helped to bring much needed focus on the drought and it mobilised
roughly US$400 million in new funding.</p><p>Our response to the drought builds on
long-established resilience building programmes in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. In
Kenya this includes support to the Hunger Safety Programme, which has provided 600,000
people in drought prone areas with regular financial assistance. In Ethiopia, the
UK funded Productive Safety Net Programme has benefitted some 8 million people via
financial welfare provision and community public works projects. In Somalia the UK
has been supporting over 220 rural communities in three large urban cities with durable
solutions initiatives for internally displaced persons. These programmes, coupled
with additional investments, have enabled the UK to reach nearly 8 million individuals
as a part of its emergency humanitarian response.</p><p>The UK is taking further action
to respond. At the spring meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund
in April, the UK and our partners secured the largest ever financial commitment from
the World Bank of US$170 billion until June 2023 to support countries faced with the
wide range of current economic challenges including the impact of the Russian invasion.
With G7 allies, we agreed to address, including in support of the United Nations Global
Crises Response Group, the causes and consequences of the global food crisis through
a Global Alliance for Food Security, as a joint initiative to ensure momentum and
coordination that will be launched by G7 Development Ministers.</p>
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