Thank you, Mr President, and thank you to all of our briefers.

I would like to make three main points today:

First, there is an urgent need to address the impacts of conflict on access to healthcare, particularly in the light of the current pandemic. Five years since the Council adopted resolution 2286, attacks on medical or humanitarian personnel are still being used as a method of warfare, in defiance of international humanitarian law. And civilians continue to suffer from the secondary impacts of conflict on access to healthcare.

In this regard, we are deeply concerned about the impact of the recent violence on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, including on health facilities and access to healthcare. Humanitarian workers should be able to operate safely in Gaza with access to vital medical supplies and equipment.

The United Kingdom strongly condemns the recent incidents in South Sudan: the brutal killing of Dr Louis Edward Saleh Ufew, a South Sudanese aid worker in Unity State in South Sudan, as well as the targeting of a clearly marked humanitarian convoy nearby, that included an ambulance. These are flagrant violations of international humanitarian law and Council resolutions such as 2286.

Hospitals continue to be attacked in Syria. In March, an attack on al-Atareb hospital killed seven patients just weeks after the UN had passed on its location coordinates. The United Kingdom condemns all such attacks unequivocally and we look forward to the findings of the Senior Advisory Panel on humanitarian de-confliction in Syria.

Second, Mr President, we cannot discuss protection of civilians without mentioning the current situation in Tigray. The UK’s Special Envoy for Famine Prevention and Humanitarian Affairs, Nick Dyer, visited Tigray last week. He found a growing risk of famine conditions emerging in part due to the conduct of hostilities. Reports of atrocities continue to emerge, including mass killings, endemic sexual violence and systematic destruction of basic services including hospitals.

Armed parties continue to routinely prevent the delivery of humanitarian assistance. Aid which is delivered is often being taken from those in need to feed soldiers. Agricultural production is being targeted. Imports of vital communications equipment are being delayed. This is not a matter of interfering in sovereign internal affairs, but about observing the binding obligations on all states under international humanitarian law.

Tigray is of course not the only context in which conflict is leading to a risk of famine. Millions of people in Yemen, North-East Nigeria and parts of South Sudan face the same risk. This Council, through UNSCR 2417, should receive swift reporting when the risk of conflict-induced famine occurs, so that it can take action.

This brings me to my third and final point.

Mr President, this Council has adopted resolutions calling for accountability for those who target healthcare, humanitarian workers and critical infrastructure, most recently under Vietnam’s Presidency. Such incidents should be brought systematically to our attention, with a greater emphasis on identifying the violators and how they are operating.

But we must then act on that reporting. The Council should use the tools at its disposal to ensure those responsible for such attacks are held to account, including through strengthening our use of sanctions.

We cannot shirk this vital responsibility.

Thank you, Mr President.

Thank you, Mr President, and it is good to be back to the Security Council chamber. I’d like to start by thanking the briefers, Special Representative Swan and Ambassador Madeira, and His Excellency Foreign Minister Abdirizak.

Mr President, the United Kingdom welcomes the opening of a new round of talks in Mogadishu and their ongoing positive progress, aimed at reaching consensus on an electoral model, and we give our full support to Prime Minister Roble as he chairs this process.

I would like to make three points:

First, as talks in Mogadishu continue, and we very much welcome the updates we’ve received, we continue to urge the Federal Government of Somalia and Federal Member States to continue their constructive dialogue, based on the 17 September agreement and the recommendations of the Baidoa technical committee. To ensure that inclusive, credible elections can take place as soon as possible and we can break out of the political impasse that risks exacerbating insecurity and instability in Somalia.

This leads me to my second point. Political turmoil has direct consequences for Somali security, as we saw only last month. The United Kingdom strongly condemns the violence that took place in Mogadishu on 25 April. We urge all sides to continue to show restraint and engage in dialogue to avoid a repeat of these scenes.

This instability leads, tragically, to loss of life, but it also threatens the transition towards Somali-led security laid out in the Somali Transition Plan and endorsed by this Council through the AMISOM resolution. The UK encourages all parties, in spite of current challenges, to continue to deliver the Somali Transition Plan and to work constructively to determine the nature of a new mission from 2022.

On this note, I welcome the engagement between the United Nations Security Council and African Union to renew the AMISOM authorisation and look forward to further, close engagement over the coming months as we discuss the shape and mandate of a new mission.

Unfortunately, this division and instability also benefits Al Shabaab. While political leaders focus on the elections, government reserves are dwindling and Al Shabaab is growing its profits and its influence. Resolving the current impasse will enable everyone to focus on common challenges: defeating Al Shabaab and supporting development in Somalia.

Mr President, this brings me to my third point. The ongoing political instability risks exacerbating Somalia’s already dire humanitarian outlook. The 25 April clashes alone displaced tens of thousands of Somalis and we are deeply concerned about the risk of further violence, especially if the talks fail. Respect for International Humanitarian Law and the protection of civilians is paramount for Somali state legitimacy. Political violence only compounds the impact of the existing threats of COVID-19, flooding, drought, food insecurity, and locust swarms, which all pose a substantial risk to the long-term stability of Somalia. Somali leaders should continue to work to address the impacts of these issues.

Finally, Mr President, the UK will maintain its support to Somalia in both mitigating the impacts of these events and working to build longer-term resilience against these problems. We call on the international community to do the same. A long-term approach to alleviating these problems is the only way to break the cycle of dependency on international humanitarian aid. And, fundamentally, the Somali people need and deserve effective and inclusive governance to support this – there must be a political settlement on how to share power and resources in a federated Somalia. Somalia’s leaders need to be able to turn their attention to managing these problems, which affect the lives of millions of Somalis.

Thank you, Mr President.