The UK’s leading aid agencies, diaspora groups, and youth activists demonstrated in Parliament Square yesterday, urging the new PM to wake up to the looming famine in East Africa. Co-ordinated by Action Against Hunger UK, the agencies sounded 80 alarm clocks to call the Government to act on the food crisis gripping the region.
It came as a new Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report shows Somalia is on the brink of widespread famine, and Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame – the presidential envoy for Somalia’s drought response – warns that more humanitarian aid must reach the region.
In the Parliament Square demonstration, there was one central ‘prop’ clock measuring 1.5m high and 1.2 wide. The face of the clock showed the IPC levels across the Horn of Africa, indicating the proportion of the population experiencing crisis levels of hunger. Around 6.7 million people are projected to experience crisis levels of hunger and 1.8 million children younger than five will face acute malnutrition this year.
The demonstrators were joined by Preet Gill, Shadow Secretary of State for International Development; Lyn Brown, Shadow Minister for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs; Kerry McCarthy, Shadow Minister for Climate Change; and Sarah Champion, Chair of the International Development Committee.
East Africa has been grappling with drought and ongoing conflict as the region is buffeted by climate change, the impact of the conflict in Ukraine and soaring food and fuel prices. This is indicative of a global hunger crisis, where the number of people struggling to feed their families has more than doubled since 2021 and 345 million children and their families worldwide are reeling under the crushing weight of hunger.
Ahmed Khalif, Country Director for Somalia, said “We look famine in the face every day. On a daily basis this means millions facing starvation, but behind the statistics are real people. We see mothers with no food to feed their children, and families burying their brothers and sisters. We know people are facing a cost-of-living crisis but we implore the international community not to forget the people of East Africa.”
Simultaneously a petition of over 30,000 signatures and a letter by 12 leading UK aid agencies has already been handed in to No. 10 calling for urgent action on the hunger crisis.
