I am excited to be running the London Marathon in partnership with Save The Children to raise funds for children’s project in Somalia, including Somaliland.

Somalia faces enormous problems caused by conflict and climate change. Six million Somalis —half of them children— need assistance urgently and approximately 1.7 million children under the age of five face acute malnutrition. Millions more are displaced. Save The Children provides food, water and education for children, but needs critical funds to extend basic services to many more. My run will support life-saving projects for these children.

As British Ambassador to Somalia, I have been privileged to see the fantastic work that Save The Children does up and down the country. This support is needed more than ever with the complex challenges Somalia faces putting the gains of recent years at risk. I’m therefore appealing to you for whatever support you can provide as every single pound raised will support children whose future remains precarious.

By supporting my fundraising, you are giving Somali children a better future. Thank you in advance.