James Duddridge: The UK Government is deeply concerned about the grave humanitarian situation in Ethiopia and shares the concerns outlined in the report on 24 June by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Ensuring assistance gets to those who need it most remains our priority in Tigray. We continue to explore all options with partners to expand humanitarian access by both air and land....
James Duddridge: The UK Government is deeply concerned about the grave humanitarian situation in Ethiopia and shares the concerns outlined in the report on 24 June by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Ensuring assistance gets to those who need it most remains our priority in Tigray. We continue to explore all options with partners to expand humanitarian access by both air and land....
James Duddridge: The UK Government is deeply concerned about the grave humanitarian situation in Ethiopia and shares the concerns outlined in the report on 24 June by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Ensuring assistance gets to those who need it most remains our priority in Tigray. We continue to explore all options with partners to expand humanitarian access by both air and land...
James Duddridge: The UK Government is deeply concerned about the grave humanitarian situation in Ethiopia and shares the concerns outlined in the report on 24 June by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report in June reported high levels of food insecurity in Tigray. It concluded more than 3 million people are in 'crisis', nearly 2.1...
James Duddridge: To help address the disruption caused to education provision by COVID-19, UK programming will this year reach approximately 300,000 children to maintain access and learning through radio lessons, community led literacy and numeracy classes, bursaries, teacher support, and support to children with disabilities. A further 100,000 children in refugee hosting districts will be supported with home...
James Duddridge: The UK is committed to rapid, equitable access to safe and effective vaccines. We are supporting the COVAX Facility as the best mechanism to deliver this and have committed £548 million to its Advance Market Commitment to support its work, making the UK one of its largest donors. To date, Uganda has received 1,139,200 vaccines through the COVAX scheme, with further deliveries expected in the...
James Duddridge: Poverty reduction is at the core of the mission of the new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. It is fundamental to all seven of our strategic priorities for development and ODA spending. By bringing our development and diplomatic expertise together in the new FCDO, and coordinating all UK activity in country better, we are using the full resources of Her Majesty’s Government to...
James Duddridge: We continue to work with the EU and our African partners on a range of priority global issues, in line with the Integrated Review and to be a force for good in the world. The proposed successor to the Cotonou Agreement covers objectives which we share, including contributing to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. I welcome their progress on...
James Duddridge: The UK seeks to enable action to avert, minimise and address loss and damage, particularly in countries most vulnerable to impacts of climate change. As incoming COP 26 Presidency the UK is pressing donors to meet and surpass their commitment to provide $100bn in climate finance to developing countries. The UK has increased its International Climate Finance to £11.6bn over five years. This...
James Duddridge: Following the merger of FCDO, we have created a new Climate & Environment Directorate (CED). The Director and all staff are engaged in various aspects of COP26 and climate change policy, galvanising increased global action to tackle the climate crisis and protect nature. The Directorate and our Heads of Mission are supported in their climate work by our overseas network of Climate, Energy and...
James Duddridge: CDC's 2020 commitment to African Infrastructure Investment Fund III follows an earlier commitment in 2017 and brings CDC's total commitment to the fund to $65.63 million. CDC does not disclose disbursement information for individual investments as this is commercially sensitive. CDC makes available information on the underlying investments made by funds into which it has invested on its...
James Duddridge: CDC's 2020 investment commitment to Globeleq was provided to support the financing and development of its pipeline of African power projects. The final funding arrangements for individual projects are not yet finalised.
James Duddridge: In July 2020, CDC launched its new Climate Strategy. Subsequently, in December 2020, CDC launched its Fossil Fuel Policy and Gas Guidance Tool, which is fully aligned with the UK Government's fossil fuel policy. The policy excludes investment in the vast majority of fossil fuel types with very limited exclusions. CDC sets parameters, including exclusions, for the use of its funds and has not...
James Duddridge: CDC's 2020 investment commitment to Globeleq was provided to support the financing and development of its pipeline of African power projects. The final funding arrangements for individual projects are not yet finalised.
James Duddridge: CDC does not disclose disbursement information for individual investments as this is commercially sensitive. CDC makes available information on the underlying investments made by funds into which it has invested on its website: https://www.cdcgroup.com/en/our-impact/fund/africinvest-iv/
James Duddridge: CDC Group's 2020 commitment to Indorama Eleme Fertilizer & Chemicals Limited is for the construction of a feed conditioning unit installed as part of Indorama's fertiliser plant. This unit will save 70,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year, recovering CO2 that would otherwise be vented. Since 2013 CDC's investment in Indorama has helped Nigeria meet its domestic needs for urea fertiliser as...
James Duddridge: CDC does not disclose disbursement information for individual investments as this is commercially sensitive. CDC makes available information on the underlying investments made by funds into which it has invested on its website: https://www.cdcgroup.com/en/our-impact/fund/helios-investors -iv/
James Duddridge: The UK is concerned by the outbreak of violence and looting in South Africa in recent days, which has sadly resulted in injuries, loss of life, and substantial damage to buildings and businesses. As a long-standing friend of South Africa, our High Commission in South Africa raises issues of concern with the South African authorities where necessary, in particular where UK nationals are...
James Duddridge: The UK Government mounted a comprehensive response to the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, which involved ten departments and four arms' length bodies. More than 1,500 British military personnel, 150 NHS volunteers, 425 Public Health England staff and 250 DFID surge staff worked alongside staff at our High Commission in Freetown and in the UK. The UK Government also provided 1,500 isolation...
James Duddridge: In July 2020, CDC launched its new Climate Strategy. Subsequently, in December 2020, CDC launched its Fossil Fuel Policy and Gas Guidance Tool, which is fully aligned with the UK Government's fossil fuel policy. CDC has published its approach including to Financial Institutions here: https://www.cdcgroup.com/en/news-insight/news/announcing-our...