The United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has pledged an additional £7.4 million (KES 1.4 billion) in funding to the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) program aimed at strengthening resilience and improving responses to climate shocks in African countries.
“Extreme weather can be catastrophic and it’s vital that Somalian communities are protected and prepared,” said Andrew Mitchell, UK Minister of State for International Development and Africa.
The financial commitment is directed toward the Multi-Donor Trust Fund of the Africa Disaster Risk Financing (ADRiFi) program, focusing particularly on Somalia over the next three years. With the funding aimed at enhancing sovereign drought insurance protection to mitigate the impact of extreme weather events, addressing one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.
The announcement was made following discussions between UK officials and representatives from the African Development Bank during the COP28 UN climate summit in Dubai.
The funds will be utilized to secure sovereign insurance against severe drought through the African Risk Capacity Group. This mechanism enables swift payouts to the Somali government to support vulnerable communities in the event of severe drought, contributing to a long-term strategy for climate resilience.
Mitchell highlighted the commitment of the UK and its partners to building climate resilience across the continent. This financial injection supplements the UK’s broader commitment of nearly USD 25.3 million for new disaster risk financing initiatives, reinforcing early warning systems and addressing climate-related crises.
The ADRiFi program assists African countries in building capacity to respond to climate change-related weather extremes, such as cyclones, flooding, and drought. Contributions from various countries, including the UK, Switzerland, the United States, Canada, and Norway, have subsidized participating countries’ insurance premium payments.
Last year, the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative ranked Somalia as the world’s second most vulnerable country to climate change impacts. Following the deal The African Risk Capacity Group will collaborate with Somalia’s government to develop budgeted contingency plans, continuing the program’s initial one-year assistance to Somalia.
“The Government of the Federal Republic of Somalia appreciates the Government of the United Kingdom committing more financing to fund insurance premiums, and for being committed to support the Government of Somalia in putting up a sovereign risk capacity to respond to past and future droughts,” stated Mohamud Mo’allim, Commissioner of the Somali Disaster Management Agency.
