Together with my colleague Alistair Fernie, Head of DFID Kenya and Somalia, I recently visited Dadaab, the largest refugee camp in the world. There among the crowds of newly-arrived people, I met one young mother, Sarura who, along with her 2 small children and other members of her family, had trekked for weeks to reach a place of safety. Her story was a common one – no longer able to feed and protect her family, she had decided there was no option but to join the thousands of others who had made their way across Somalia in a desperate search for help. Many of the refugees fleeing Somalia to Kenya and Ethiopia have been walking for weeks. Almost half of all children arriving in camps are malnourished, and one in ten is just days from death.
On his own trip to Dadaab refugee camp two weeks ago, the British International Development Secretary, Andrew Mitchell, announced that that the UK Government would provide vital, impartial, life-saving assistance to where the needs were greatest – to 500,000 people inside Somalia, as well as further support to people in Dadaab and Dolo Ado refugee camps, and to other victims of the humanitarian crisis in Kenya and Ethiopia.
This is in addition to the work UKAid has been funding over the last year which has provided treatment for acute malnutrition for more than 100,000 children under the age of five and pregnant or breastfeeding mothers; vaccinations for more than 1.3 million women and children; clean water for more than 350,000 people and shelter for 50,000 people; and emergency support for agriculture and rural livelihoods for 250,000 people.
I’m proud that the UK, together with a number of others, is leading the international response to this terrible situation. As the UK Foreign Office Minister, Henry Bellingham, said only last week on his visit to Hargeisa, Somalia really matters to the UK. We have strong ties – the UK is home to well over 200,000 people of Somali origin – and a single common interest: namely, to help bring greater stability to Somalia after 20 years of conflict. The strength of that common interest can be seen in the overwhelming action of the British people, who have already raised over £30m in response to the appeal from the Disasters Emergency Committee appeal. This money, which is in addition to the support provided by the British Government, is being used to support the remarkable and vital work that British, and international, NGOs are doing on the ground.
I was back in Mogadishu last week, together with Alistair and a number of our colleagues, just as the UN started an airlift operation to deliver food. As Somalia reels from the worst drought in 60 years and the devastating impact of 20 years of conflict, the UK government is working closely with the UN, the AU, countries in the region, and other international partners to help find a lasting peace in Somalia. Only with greater stability can the horrors of the situation now unfolding in southern Somalia be prevented. As the shadow of famine looms across all of southern Somalia, you only need to speak to Sarura to understand why.