Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to help ensure that the needs of people in Somaliland are fully represented in international and regional responses to the drought and food security situation in the Horn of Africa region.

Somaliland's drought emergency is deeply concerning. The UK is providing urgently needed humanitarian assistance to those most affected across Somalia, including Somaliland, to prevent famine. On April 26 at a UN High-Level Round Table on the Horn of Africa drought, I announced an additional £25 million for famine prevention across Somalia, including Somaliland. Our humanitarian assistance is allocated on the basis of need, not geographic area. The UK supported 17 communities in Somaliland in the regions of Awdal, Sool and Sanaag by providing livelihoods support and building people's capacity to prepare for disasters. UK aid provided an early response to the current drought with cash assistance, emergency water and treatment for malnourished children. We provided £2 million to the United Nations-led Somalia Humanitarian Fund and £4 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross, both of which are providing vital assistance in Somaliland.