Issue 219

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the political and security situation in Somalia for the purposes of taking decisions on aid.

Photo of Hilary Benn

Hilary Benn (Secretary of State, Department for International Development)

The political and security situation in much of south and central Somalia makes the provision of aid very difficult. Our assessments are led by the impact of:

competition for food, pasture and water that are made scarce by drought;

political conflict in the Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs);

conflict for relief supplies and the contracts to provide them; and

inter-clan/faction conflict such as that in Mogadishu.

To minimize the risks, DFID works closely with other donors to support UN-led activity. Somaliland and Puntland are better governed and more secure, making delivery of assistance easier.

However, the establishment of the Transitional Federal Institutions provides the best opportunity for bringing lasting peace and governance to Somalia. The recent convening of the Transitional Federal Parliament (TFP) in Baidoa, is a positive step forward after almost a year of political division. Parliament is the only institution which can give legitimacy to the transitional process and, as the most inclusive body of the TFIs, it needs to begin to operate. The parliamentary session in Baidoa marks the start of the resumption of the process of restoring central governance to Somalia. The international community agrees that supporting it is a priority, and we, with other donors, are providing funds for this.

The recent outbreak of heavy fighting in Mogadishu threatens the wider reconciliation process. I hope that those involved will stop the conflict and reach a settlement. Such fighting, together with the drought, currently worst affecting the south, demonstrates again why Somalia so badly needs a new government to bring stability; and restore human rights and dignity to the people. DFID has responded to the drought with contributions totaling £7 million since December 2005; and our wider programme to help rebuild Somalia's destroyed social and governance sectors, and those in Somaliland, continues. This includes support to the restoration of public safety and security in Somalia, focusing on the re-establishment of policing, with £600,000 this year through the United Nations Development Programme. We also support the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) in developing the National Security and Stabilization Plan requested by the UN Security Council.

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