Asked by: Lord St John of Bletso (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they are taking to provide aid to assist in alleviating the impact of the current drought in Zimbabwe.
Answered by Baroness Verma
The UK was one of the first to respond widespread food insecurity resulting from a poor 2015 harvest and the emerging El Niño. Since September 2015, we have been supporting over 350,000 people in the worst affected areas, through cash transfers, in a £15m programme ending in July 2016.
An estimated 2.8 million people currently face food insecurity in Zimbabwe, so the UK is also helping to build their longer term resilience to future droughts. Our programmes provide training to smallholder farmers strengthening their ability to cope with the effects of climate change; and supporting them to grow drought resistant crops - such as ground nuts, sesame and mung bean for sale to the market.
Asked by: Lord St John of Bletso (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have, in conjunction with the UN, to assist in rebuilding infrastructure in South Sudan.
Answered by Baroness Verma
South Sudan is in the midst of a protracted humanitarian crisis affecting millions, and the UK is prioritising support which saves lives and protects the most vulnerable. The UK works with the UN and others on small infrastructure projects that support humanitarian efforts, such as the building/maintenance of roads, airstrips and camps; and projects that are driven by local communities, such as building of water points, dykes, bridges and schools. Peace and security, including the overdue formation of the transitional government of national unity, are essential for progress on the development of South Sudan. The UK is playing an active role in encouraging the full implementation of the peace agreement, and continues to call for the immediate return of Opposition leader Riek Machar to Juba in order to facilitate this.