Call For Action by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Africa: Addressing Crises in the Horn of Africa Introduction

The Horn of Africa is in the midst of overlapping humanitarian crises, characterised by severe armed conflict, political instability, food insecurity, climate change, and widespread loss of livelihoods. These crises have resulted in significant displacement, food shortages, and economic disruption, affecting millions of people across the region. The transnational nature of these challenges necessitates a comprehensive and coordinated approach to effectively address immediate needs and foster long-term resilience.

Call for Action
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Africa (APPG for Africa) convened a high-level roundtable on 9 May to discuss the crises in the Horn of Africa. The event, held at Portcullis House in Westminster, was organised in collaboration with the Centre for Pan-African Studies at SOAS and Shabaka.
Following these discussions, APPG for Africa calls for immediate and strategic action in the following key areas:

1. Strengthen Support for Locally Led Initiatives APPG for Africa advocates for greater funding and empowerment of local civil society organisations and affected communities in the Horn
of Africa. The focus should be on moving humanitarian resources to the grassroots level, directly supporting local initiatives, and promoting locally driven recovery efforts. This approach requires the UK government, international partners, and humanitarian agencies to deliver on Grand Bargain localisation commitments by providing resources to meet immediate needs and sharing risks more equitably with local partners.

2. Emphasise Recovery and Resilience-Building Recovery and resilience-building must be. central to humanitarian and development policies. APPG for Africa recommends investing in long-term collaborations between international funders, humanitarian partners, and local communities to co-create sustainable solutions. Additionally, the UK government and its international partners should focus on enhancing forecasting and early warning systems, such as those provided by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Climate Prediction and Applications Centre, to support early action in the face of potential crises.

3. Support Regional Frameworks for Cooperation APPG for Africa urges support for strengthening regional cooperation through platforms like IGAD. This support should focus on fostering trust among member states and aligning international priorities with regional needs. Moreover, the UK government and international partners should recognise the importance of comprehensive transcontinental Red Sea geostrategic collaboration, acknowledging the geopolitical significance of the region in global trade, security, and food security within the Horn of Africa states. There should also be a focus on Sudan, with a comprehensive plan that recognises its potential as a centre for trans-regional peace-building.

4. Integrate Political, Security, and Humanitarian Responses APPG for Africa calls for a more integrated approach to addressing the crises in the Horn of Africa. This includes advocating for cooperation among a wide range of stakeholders, including international partners, local communities, diaspora groups, and regional organisations, to create cohesive political, security, and humanitarian responses. We specifically urge the UK government to create a diaspora engagement strategy that fosters collaboration with diaspora communities. A comprehensive strategy can help leverage the resources, knowledge, and networks of the UK's African diaspora to drive integrated and positive change.

5. Address Polarisation Alongside Conflict Silencing the guns is a critical step toward peace, but APPG for Africa emphasises that reducing polarisation is equally important. Online platforms often propagate hateful and conspiratorial content, which fuels divisions among different genders, ethnicities, religions, and social groups. The UK government and international partners must work to mitigate polarisation within and among communities by supporting activities that promote reliable journalism, ethical use of social media, civic education, dialogue, understanding, and inclusive peace-building efforts.