30/11/2023
UK announces £7 million to support Zambia to respond to climate and food insecurity crisis
By Derrick Sinjela and Simon Banda
This year (2023), Zambia is experiencing a climate and food insecurity crisis, caused by rising temperatures and unpredictable rains that have resulted in droughts, floods and disease outbreaks including cholera, fall army worm and most recently anthrax.
The Zambian government’s integrated food security analysis shows that more than two (2) million people are in food insecurity, crisis and emergency.
Urgent humanitarian assistance is required to reduce food gaps, protect and restore livelihoods, and to prevent acute malnutrition.
In response, the UK has today announced £7 million GBP (over 207 million kwacha) this year to support Zambia’s most vulnerable citizens.
"This will support the Zambian government’s plan to provide shock response assistance and support families in adapting to the impacts of climate change.
British High Commissioner to Zambia Nicholas Woolley made the announcement on a visit to Chipata, Eastern Province on Wednesday, 29th November, 2023, a region severely affected by the impacts of climate change.
"Zambia is experiencing a food security crisis exacerbated by the global climate crisis resulting in late rains and high temperatures. More than two (2) million people are experiencing food insecurity. As global leaders gather in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) this week to begin important climate negotiations at 28th Conference of Parties (COP28), I am pleased to announce that the UK will commit a further 7 million pounds to support Zambia in responding to the climate and food insecurity crisis, and protect Zambia’s poorest citizens. We welcome the Zambian Government’s commitment to expanding both the coverage and the value of social cash transfers next year,” assured High Commissioner Woolley in a Press Release issued by British High Commission Lusaka
Communications Lead Jonathan Siame.
With rising poverty & cost of living, Mr. Woolley welcomed Community Development Minister Doreen Mwamba's commitment to expand both coverage and value of Social Cash Transfers (SCT).
The 2023 COP28 three main pillars are: "industrial decarbonization; accelerating the just green energy transition; and innovation for climate action".
The announcement was made during the launch of the 1000 Days Nutrition pilot for Zambia’s Social Cash Transfer programme. The programme aims to support vulnerable households to adapt to the long-term impacts of climate change, and improve food security and the consumption of nutritious foods. Cash provides empowerment for people to make decisions and buy essential food, whilst linkages to services and support improve access and delivery of life saving health and protection interventions.
The 1000 Days Nutrition pilot is being implemented by Zambia’s Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, in partnership with the governments of Ireland, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, alongside UNICEF.
The UK is a proud supporter of Zambia’s approach to Social Cash Transfers, a partnership that has spanned over twenty (20) years. This partnership has helped empower Zambia’s poorest people to grow businesses and improve life chances, resulting in better food security, nutrition, health, and education outcomes for over fifty-four percent (54%) of Zambia’s poorest citizens. The UK has provided funding of more than £39 million GBP for social protection in Zambia over the past seven (7) years; today’s GBP 7 million pound funding announcement is additional to that sum.
Delegates from nearly 200 countries, leaders of business and finance, and representatives of civil society will gather in Dubai from Thursday 30th November 30 to Tuesday 12th
December, 2023 for the COP28 climate conference with the aim of fast-tracking the transition to a clean-energy future.
A delegation of senior thought-leaders will drill down into the data that illuminates corporate progress toward global climate goals, pathways for transition finance, biodiversity, the phase out of coal-fired power, the greening of private assets, the evolution of carbon markets, and the emergence of resilience alongside carbon cutting as a theme for investment.
COP28 is expected to stress the importance of collective action to stop climate change and the critical role of finance in the low-carbon transition. With our participation we hope to help investors and other capital markets participants see what’s ahead and back climate commitments with action.
About COP 28
COP 28 refers to the United Nations Climate Change Conference taking place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from 30 November until 12 December 2023.
Back to the conference main page
UN Climate Change conferences (or COPs) take place every year, and are the world’s only multilateral decision-making forum on climate change with almost complete membership of every country in the world.
To put it simply, the COP is where the world comes together to agree on ways to address the climate crisis, such as limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, helping vulnerable communities adapt to the effects of climate change, and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
More than 70,000 delegates are expected to attend COP28, including the member states (or Parties) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Business leaders, young people, climate scientists, Indigenous Peoples, journalists, and various other experts and stakeholders are also among the participants.
Officially, COP 28 stands for the 28th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UNFCCC.