Issue 257

Written answers on Tuesday, 17 April 2007

House of Lords

Somaliland : Livestock Ban

Lord Avebury (Liberal Democrat) asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 27 March 2006 (WA 100), what progress has been made on ways of overcoming the livestock ban against Somaliland by neighboring states; and whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the Somali Joint Needs Assessment in which the overall reconstruction package for Somaliland was expected to be contained.

Baroness Amos (President of the Council, Privy Council Office)

The livestock ban, which applied across the whole of Somalia, was lifted in 2006. Since then there has been an outbreak of Rift Valley Fever, resulting in an import ban by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and various Middle East countries, and further weakening the sector. The European Commission is supporting the establishment of a comprehensive support strategy necessary to sustain the livestock sector, so that it can regain its former prominence. It entails the setting up of a reliable and cost-effective animal health service in order to enhance livestock production and domestic and export trade of livestock and livestock products. Improving the livestock sector is also an important component of the Joint Needs Assessment (JNA) and Reconstruction and Development Plan (RDP).

The Somali Joint Needs Assessment runs to six volumes and is available on the following website: www.somali-jna.org. Work is currently under way, managed by the World Bank and UNDP on behalf of the Somali authorities, on the Reconstruction and Development Plan (the outcome of the JNA process), which will be made available on the same website once it is finalized. There is no clear deadline for this at present although draft versions of volumes 1 to 4 of the RDP are currently available online.

Somaliland : Aid

Lord Avebury (Liberal Democrat) asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their budget for aid to Somaliland in each of the years covered by the Comprehensive Spending Review; and how these amounts will be allocated.

Baroness Amos (President of the Council, Privy Council Office)

DfID has a single programme for Somalia and Somaliland. We estimate that 30 to 40 per cent of this allocation benefits Somaliland. For the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) period 2005-08 our programme framework rose from £12 million in 2005-06 (increased to £18.75 million in response to severe drought in the Horn of Africa), to £15 million in 2006-07, and will rise further to £21 million in 2007-08. Our assistance to Somaliland will continue to increase as the overall programme framework increases.

The 2008-11 CSR figures have not yet been decided. We estimate that once again around 30 to 40 per cent of this allocation will benefit Somaliland. Our support to Somaliland will continue to include assistance to education, the rule of law, government capacity building and community grants (all primarily channeled through UN agencies), plus continuing humanitarian assistance through international NGOs and other agencies as needed.

Source: workingforyou.gov