UK Minister for Africa Announces New Humanitarian Funding in Response to Drought on First Visit to Somalia
• UK Minister for International Development and Africa Baroness Chapman visited Mogadishu where she met President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and reaffirmed the UK-Somalia partnership.
• On a visit to a World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse, the Minister announced £6m in new humanitarian funding to support those impacted by drought across Somalia.
• Meeting UNSOS and AUSSOM leadership, the Minister emphasised the UK’s commitment to Somalia’s security and stability.
Mogadishu 13 Feb – The UK Minister for International Development and Africa, Baroness Jennifer Chapman, concluded her first visit to Somalia earlier today. The highlight of the visit was the Minister’s announcement of £6 million in new humanitarian funding to support urgent relief efforts across parts of the country facing drought.
At Villa Somalia, the Minister was hosted by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud with discussions focussed on the rapidly escalating drought risk across Somalia and the significant challenges it is causing for vulnerable communities. Baroness Chapman underscored the UK’s shift from a traditional donor relationship to an investment‑driven development partnership, designed to strengthen Somali resilience, support economic opportunity, reduce long‑term vulnerability to climate‑induced shocks and deter irregular migration. She also recognised the critical leadership role the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) continues to play in responding to drought‑related needs across the country and agreed to continue vital coordination between the FGS and the UK to address need.
The Minister congratulated the President for his Government’s leadership on the Baxnaano shock-responsive social protection system, and heard how, through collaboration between the Government, the UK, the World Bank and the United Nations, over 500,000 people affected by drought are already receiving emergency cash support. She also welcomed the activation of the UK-supported African Risk
Capacity (ARC) insurance policy for drought response – triggering $3.4 million in rapid payouts to the Government for emergency drought response, ensuring timely and effective support to those most in need.
The Minister and DPM also discussed the activation of the ARC Replica insurance for the Start Network and the World Food Programme, providing $2.15 million for these humanitarian partners to respond quickly to needs alongside the Government’s ARC policy. Start Network’s pre-arranged finance facility Start Ready has already also disbursed £2 million for anticipatory action in Somalia, mitigating humanitarian impacts before conditions deteriorate. All of these mechanisms have been supported by the UK since their inception and are part of our efforts to increase the use of pre-arranged finance for early action, helping to pre-empt impacts and improve the efficiency of humanitarian response.
The UK-Somalia partnership is also working to boost climate resilience, including through the UK-backed Green Climate Fund’s first single-country investment of $79 million and our £41 million in bilateral climate finance this year. Through the partnership, the UK is pressing the FGS to adopt a two‑track approach: addressing the climate issues causing humanitarian crises, while simultaneously scaling rapid, life‑saving assistance to people in urgent need.
Visiting a World Food Programme Warehouse in Mogadishu with the DPM, Baroness Chapman announced £6 million in additional UK humanitarian assistance, targetingthe highest‑need locations to deliver life‑saving support to those most affected by drought conditions. This funding will provide life-saving support to over 129,000 people.
At the warehouse, the UK Minister for International Development and Africa, said:
“The UK-Somalia partnership is delivering real impact, where it matters most. The funding I have announced today will mean Somalia’s most vulnerable communities receive life-saving assistance such as nutritional, health and emergency cash. We continue to work with the Federal Government of Somalia to help build climate resilience and respond to urgent need. We’re partnering for a safer and more secure future for all Somalis.”
Ending her programme in Somalia, the Minister met UNSOS and AUSSOM leaders, to thank them for their commitment to Somalia’s security. She visited an UNSOS helicopter to better understand the UN’s vital support work and to see in person the contribution made by UK support to AUSSOM funding and UNSOS’s non-lethal logistical support for Somali forces, which is helping save lives and counter violent extremists – for a safer, more secure Somalia. She also met UK service personnel, part of Operation Tangham, supporting UN and AU operations and thanked them for their vital efforts to build the capacity of the Somali National Army.
Notes to Editors
• For more information on UK activity in Somalia, follow @UKinSomalia on X and Facebook, @BritishEmbassyMogadishu on Instagram or visit our website www.gov.uk/world/somalia/news
• The new £6 million in humanitarian support forms part of a £61 million UK package of funding in financial year 2025/26 to bilaterally address both immediate humanitarian needs and the underlying drivers of crisis in Somalia, including over £12 million to a partnership with the Federal Government, World Food Programme and World Bank to provide shock-responsive social protection to the most vulnerable drought affected households.
• African Risk Capacity is Africa’s regional risk insurance scheme for drought,tropical cyclones, floods and disease outbreaks, providing affordable insurance for countries (ARC) and humanitarian agencies (ARC Replica insurance). The UK is a founder member/donor, including subsidizing multiyear drought insurance for Somalia ($9m over 3 years) alongside the African Development Bank. The UK also subsidises the ARC Replica insurance for Start Network (£6 million over 2 years for 4 high risk African countries) and also WFP (via the Global Shield Financing Facility). For more information on ARC, please see African Risk Capacity Limited – Resilience Risk Pools
• Start Ready is an innovative pre-arranged finance facility that funds anticipatory and early action through locally-led organisations.
