Sub-Saharan Africa: Famine

(asked on 29th September 2020) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure that food shortages and famine in Sub-Saharan Africa does not result in increased sexual exploitation of adolescent girls in that region.


Answered by
James Duddridge Portrait
James Duddridge
This question was answered on 7th October 2020

We are closely monitoring the food security situation in sub-Saharan Africa, where over 72 million people are estimated to be in crisis levels of food insecurity, with women and girls disproportionately affected. Climate shocks, an unprecedented locust outbreaks and the impact of COVID-19 are likely to increase needs and widen gaps in gender inequality.

The UK is a leading humanitarian donor, with protection at the heart of what we do. Addressing the needs of women and girls is central to our approach. We have committed £119 million to combat the threat of famine and appointed the first Special Envoy for Famine Prevention and Humanitarian Affairs. Our funding will include life-saving nutrition services for mothers and children. We ensure a robust gender analysis when addressing chronic hunger and its broader underlying drivers. We invest in gender-responsive social protection. This helps protect and build the resilience of poor and vulnerable families, reducing negative coping mechanisms, such as the exchange of sex for food, water and basic needs.

We remain committed to improving safeguarding standards across the aid sector and to a zero-tolerance approach to help prevent sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment.

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