“The British Government is awaiting signals from neigbouring countries as pertains to the Recognition of Somaliland” Baroness Warsi
By: Yusuf M Hasan
Somalilandsun – The Somaliland Development Fund-SDF is targeted on specific sectors within the Somaliland National Development Plan, namely: water, livestock, roads and the environment.
This was informed by Lead Spokesperson for DFID in the House of Lords by Baroness Northover during the UK parliamentary Q&A sessions of 28th January 2014 where she also informed the British lords that SDF is a multi-donor fund supported by Denmark, Norway and the UK.
The Baroness who is a Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords and also spokesperson for DCMS, DEFRA, Health, and Women and Equalities was responding to queries on Somaliland and Somalia posed by Lord Chidgey.
In response to prodding by Lord Chidgey on the ration of DFID funding to Somalia and Somaliland Baroness Northover revealed that the DFID does not compile formal aid expenditure statistics broken down at sub-national level (Read Somalia and Somaliland) though the UK bilateral overseas development assistance to Somalia (including Somaliland) was (in thousands): £40,359 in 2010, £94,907 in 2011 and £89,754 in 2012.
Lord Chidgey (David Chidgey) of the Liberal Democratic Party is the Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on the Great Lakes region of Africa, Chairman of the International Advisory Board of the Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit, and a Liberal Democrat life Peer
More prodding by Lord Chidgey on what assessment Her Majesty’s Government has made on Somaliland’s declared independence from Somalia, Baroness Warsi of the Conservative party and Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office said that “the government in London considers that it is for Somalia and Somaliland themselves to determine their future relationship and for neigbouring countries in the region to take the lead in recognizing any new arrangements”
Below are the excerpts of the House of Lords Q&A Session of 28th January 2014.
Somaliland
Questions
Asked by Lord Chidgey
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the extent to which the Somaliland Development Fund has been successful in assisting donors to support Somaliland’s own National Development Plan in their aim of enhancing governmental structures and the rule of law and assisting security forces and the police to maintain stability and enhance human security.[HL4854]
Baroness Northover: The Somaliland Development Fund is a multi-donor fund supported by Denmark, Norway and the UK. It is targeted on specific sectors within the Somaliland National Development Plan, namely: water, livestock, roads and the environment. These were agreed through a prioritization process between the National Planning Commission and donors. This process has helped to strengthen the role and performance of the National Planning Commission itself. It has also opened opportunities for broader donor support to the Somaliland government, for example on public financial management reform and public sector management strengthening.
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Somaliland and Somalia
Questions
Asked by Lord Chidgey
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to assist Somaliland to meet the Millennium Development Goals to eliminate extreme poverty and hunger, and reduce infant mortality in its region.[HL4826]
Baroness Northover (LD): In Somalia during 2012/13 the UK achieved the following results on tackling hunger and poverty: 130,000 children and pregnant, or breastfeeding women were treated for acute malnutrition and 1 million people benefited from food assistance. DFID Somalia does not disaggregate poverty and food assistance results by region.
In health, between 2011 and September 2013, DFID achieved the following results in reducing infant mortality in Somaliland: over 20,000 children had routine vaccinations for common childhood diseases; over 47,000 children under 5 accessed nutrition services.
Asked by Lord Chidgey
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the projected cost of aid from the Department for International Development to Somaliland, as compared to aid provided to Somalia, for the period 2010 to 2015.[HL4827]
Baroness Northover: DFID does not compile formal aid expenditure statistics broken down at sub-national level. UK bilateral overseas development assistance to Somalia (including Somaliland) was (in thousands): £40,359 in 2010, £94,907 in 2011 and £89,754 in 2012 (Source: Statistics on International Development 2012).
Asked by Lord Chidgey
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of Somaliland’s declared independence from Somalia.[HL4829]
The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth Office 
(Baroness Warsi) (Con): The British Government considers that it is for Somalia and Somaliland themselves to determine their future relationship and for neigbouring countries in the region to take the lead in recognizing any new arrangements.
Following the London Conference in February 2012, which “recognised the need for the international community to support any dialogue that Somaliland and the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) or its replacement may agree to establish in order to clarify their future relations”, the TFG and Somaliland met for the first time at Chevening in the UK, in June 2012. We agreed to cooperate on matters of mutual interest. Somalia and Somaliland have held several further rounds of talks in Turkey, at Ministerial level, including earlier this month. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Boston and Skegness (Mr Simmonds), raised the importance of a
28 Jan 2014 : Column WA226 lasting and mutually acceptable agreement between Somali and Somaliland during his discussions at the 2014 African Union Summit in Addis Ababa with the new Somali Foreign Minister, Abdurahman Duale Beyle.
The source of this extract can be obtained from the UK parliament website. www.parliament.uk
About SDF
The Somaliland Development Fund (SDF) provides a single vehicle through which donors can support Somaliland’s development goals. The SDF supports the Government of Somaliland (GoSL) fill a critical gap through funding projects that are fully aligned to the National Development Plan (NDP) 2012 -2016 while at the same time recognizing the role of GoSL in the delivery of basic services.
For more details Click Somaliland Development Fund
