Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has arrived in London to co-host the Global Food Security Summit with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the United Arab Emirates, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The summit, scheduled for Monday in London, will bring together government leaders, aid groups, scientists involved in global research initiatives, and climate and food experts.
The summit will feature various sessions focusing on innovative agricultural practices, climate-resilient farming, international cooperation for resource allocation, and supporting countries like Somalia, which are on the frontline of the food security battle due to geographic and socio-political factors.
Prime Minister Sunak emphasized the need for global action to address the underlying and often unseen causes of global food insecurity.
According to the United Nations, the latest analysis indicates that between April and June 2023, approximately 6.6 million people in Somalia experienced high levels of acute food insecurity.
The UK International Development Minister, Andrew Mitchell, said, “Today we will launch the UK International Development White Paper, setting out our long-term vision for addressing critical global challenges, including preventing and treating child wasting, through new partnerships and sources of finance.
Up to £100 million in humanitarian funding is being released to countries worst hit by food insecurity, including Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan and Afghanistan, and to countries impacted by climate-related weather events, such as Malawi, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said.
Floods caused by heavy rains that began in early October in Somalia resulted in the death of 50 people and displaced over half a million others, as reported by the country’s national disaster agency.
The Somalia Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA) stated that the torrential rains also triggered landslides and flash floods in other parts of Somalia, destroying crops and livestock.
