§ Mr. JenkinsTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action he is taking to assist the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation in its request for more international aid to help tackle the locust plague in West Africa. [188103]
§ Hilary BennThe UK committed £1.5 million ($2.7 million at current exchange rate) in August to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) international emergency appeal for the immediate control of the locust swarms. In total the international community has pledged $37 million.
To date, the FAO has provided about $5 million to six countries and to four regional projects across West and North Africa. There is currently unspent donor money available from the international appeal. As the situation is easing in Morocco and Algeria, their governments are also redeploying resources in the south.
The Department for International Development continues to monitor the situation closely. In the event that the situation deteriorates rapidly, the UK will 1428W review its response in line with the FAO and in-country logistics capacity given the difficulty of operating in such remote areas.