At Action Against Hunger, we would like to welcome Yvette Cooper to her new role as Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs. This appointment comes at a time when ambitious action is needed from governments globally to address rising, and sometimes lethal, levels of hunger and malnutrition.
Famine is a present reality in 2025—people are dying of hunger in Gaza, Sudan, Haiti and the DRC. Over 700 million people in the world are going to bed hungry.
Yet, this Government is on course to slash UK ODA to its lowest level for 25 years, but they have an opportunity to get back on track. They must reverse the devastating aid cuts, which are a blow to millions who are facing extreme hunger, and they must stand up for International Humanitarian Law, which is under threat around the world.
We stand ready to work with the FCDO to prevent famine and address the root causes of hunger, but this will require political will, resources, and renewed UK leadership. We wish the new Foreign Secretary every success, and look forward to working together to ensure the UK plays its full part in tackling global hunger and famine.