New Delhi: The UK has announced £61 million in emergency funding to help some of the world’s most vulnerable people affected by humanitarian crises in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
The funding will support programmes tackling the causes of migration, including conflict, climate change and poverty, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said. This announcement follows the Prime Minister’s pledge at the European Political Community Summit in July to reduce migration into the UK by supporting vulnerable individuals worldwide to access education and employment opportunities.
The announcement comes as the UN estimates that 305.1 million people will require immediate humanitarian assistance in 2025.
The UK aid will be directed to the Middle East, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and countries affected by Tropical Cyclone Chido, such as Mozambique, the press release stated. The Middle East will receive £22 million for crisis response, while £34 million will alleviate humanitarian needs in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, the DRC, Somalia, Myanmar, and Bangladesh.
Minister for Development Anneliese Dodds said: “We are seeing desperate humanitarian need right across the world. Climate change, conflict and extreme poverty are compounding the suffering of the most vulnerable.
“The UK is working with our partners to scale up the delivery of humanitarian relief. By taking the lead in tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges we are countering threats to global stability, tackling migration upstream and delivering our Plan for Change to support hardworking British people.”