Mogadishu, Somalia — UK Minister for Africa Announces £6 Million in Humanitarian Funding Amid Drought. Mogadishu, Somalia — The UK Minister for International Development and Africa, Baroness Jennifer Chapman, concluded her first visit to Somalia by announcing £6 million in new humanitarian funding to combat the ongoing drought affecting the country.
The funding, announced during a visit to a World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse, will provide critical support to communities most affected by the severe drought.
During the visit, Baroness Chapman met with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and discussed the escalating drought risk and its impact on vulnerable communities. She highlighted the UK’s commitment to shifting from a traditional donor relationship to an investment-driven development partnership, aimed at strengthening Somali resilience and reducing long-term vulnerability to climate-induced shocks.
The Minister also commended the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) for its leadership in responding to drought-related needs and praised the Baxnaano shock-responsive social protection system.
She noted that over 500,000 people affected by the drought are already receiving emergency cash support through collaboration between the Government, the UK, the World Bank, and the United Nations.
In addition to the new funding, Baroness Chapman welcomed the activation of the UK — supported African Risk Capacity (ARC) insurance policy for drought response, which has triggered $3. 4 million in rapid payouts to the Government.
This funding will ensure timely and effective support to those most in need.
The UK is also working to boost climate resilience in Somalia, including through the UK — backed Green Climate Fund’s first single-country investment of $79 million and £41 million in bilateral climate finance this year.
The partnership aims to address the climate issues causing humanitarian crises while scaling rapid, life — saving assistance to people in urgent need.
The new £6 million in humanitarian support forms part of a £61 million UK package of funding in the financial year 2025/26 to address both immediate humanitarian needs and the underlying drivers of crisis in Somalia. This includes over £12 million to a partnership with the FGS, the WFP, and the World Bank to provide shock-responsive social protection to the most vulnerable drought-affected households. Baroness Chapman’s visit also included meetings with leaders of the United Nations Operation in Somalia (UNSOS) and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), where she emphasized the UK’s commitment to Somalia’s security and stability.
She also met with UK service personnel supporting UN and AU operations, thanking them for their vital efforts to build the capacity of the Somali National Army. Further details are expected regarding the distribution of the new funding and the implementation of the UK-Somalia partnership’s initiatives to combat the drought and build long-term resilience.
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Source: sonna.
