UK Aid

Ensuring our International Aid budget delivers on the ground is a key concern of mine. This May Bank Holiday weekend, I travelled to the African country of Djibouti with UNICEF. Not only is Djibouti the 14th most impoverished country in the globe, it is now hosting refugees from its African neighbours and from across the water from Yemen. Here, I document my reasons for visiting, the country’s challenges, the work I was privileged to witness and my view on whether it is better to give aid in the regions or increase refugee numbers in the UK.

News

Visiting Djibouti with UNICEF: Holl Holl Refugee Camp

A 90 minute drive, on what can only loosely be described as a road, across the arid landscape towards Ethiopia, lies the Holl Holl Camp which is home to over 5,000 refugees from Somalia, Eritrea and Ethiopia. 

Visiting Djibouti: Viewing Chinese Investment

With its deep-sea port on the Dead Sea, Djibouti is a trading post to the world. Despite its close links to France, Djibouti is now forging close relationships with other countries who are keen to tap into its strategic importance.