My Lords, the rapid response of UK humanitarian aid to mitigate the impact of the Crisis in the Sahel will reach 68,000 children in Niger, Chad and Mali, and provide livestock support for 30,000 families.

This debate is of course about Somalia, but it is noticeable and concerning that many features that are described as contributing to the potential Crisis in the Sahel are similar to those that we heard about a couple of years ago in relation to the crisis in the horn of Africa.

However, I can assure my hon. Friend that work is being done both through our bilateral humanitarian system and, in particular, through European support which has already contributed some £106 million to help with the Sahel Crisis.

However, what I am saying is that the Sahel Crisis is so huge that we need even more money, and we also need the UK Government to make sure that everyone else is pulling their weight too.

I am sure that we are all hugely concerned about the growing Crisis in the Sahel, but this is a debate.

The Crisis in the Sahel is something that we need to debate, to ensure that it is kept in the public eye.

In addition to our direct support, the UK has provided a substantial share of multilateral contributions to the response to the Crisis in the Sahel.

For example, through Save the Children, the Government are providing vital life-saving support to those affected by the humanitarian Crisis in the Sahel.

If it does not, and we find that the African Union is unable to access the resources it needs to offer a military, economic and public diplomatic response to the Crisis in the Sahel, we will reap a terrible whirlwind across the continent.