UK announces £5 million to boost food aid support in Somalia

GOOBJOOG NEWS|UK:   More than 100,000 Somalis facing starvation will benefit from a new five million pounds aid package to cushion them from further suffering, the UK government has said

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office announced Wednesday an addition £5 million which will be channelled through the World Food Programme for life-saving support and food assistance to 139,000 people.

The funds are part of £47 million to support humanitarian crises in Sahel, Syria, South Sudan, Nigeria, Somalia, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Venezuela and Mozambique.

“This extra emergency UK aid will mean people can feed their families and prevent these crises from escalating into widespread famine,” UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said. “ We hope to see other donors step up to the plate with some extra funding to prevent these global crises getting worse.”

An estimated 235 million people expected to be in need of urgent assistance next year compared to 175 million people at the start of 2020.

The UK also called on international donors to provide more funding and working to ensure conflict parties allow humanitarian access for aid workers and ensure the protection of civilians.