Mr. Paul Healy:

It will not make a blind bit of difference for many of the people involved. They are already suffering. Reference was made to Andrew Harding's horrifying story. I was standing beside him when that child died. A declaration does not make any difference to that child or that mother. It does not make any difference to the suffering of people. Months ago, I said that we are already mitigating the impact of famine. It is already here and is already expressing itself. Yes, some of the indicators have not been completely reached, but that depends on the famine review committee having the ability to measure specific indicators and having the time to do that. They only do that over a period. We are waiting for the next assessment and collection of data from the famine review committee before that famine is declared, but the crisis is now. Perhaps members will recall that 100,000 people died in 2011 before famine was declared. We certainly want to try to avoid that happening again. We want to avoid mothers and children starving in Somalia and wasting away to nothing as we wait for this amazing declaration. It is not good enough. We must do more. I really appreciate the compassion, the intelligence and the commitment shown by the members here today around pushing this and early action, rather than waiting for a famine to be declared. By the time that happens it will be too late. Yes, the declaration might mobilise things and raise a few eyebrows. When famine is declared people might say "Oh gosh, we need to do something now", but it may also be too late.