Sierra leone: Sierra Leone's Minister of Finance, Hon. Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura, has called on international development partners to act swiftly to help developing countries withstand the economic shocks arising from the escalating crisis in the Middle East. Bangura made the appeal during the Global Partnerships Conference in London, held from May 19 to 20, 2026, where global leaders, finance ministers and international institutions met to discuss strategies for addressing mounting threats to energy security, food systems and economic stability. According to Sierra Leone News Agency, speaking during a session on outcomes-based financing, modern partnerships, and value for money, the finance minister warned that continued geopolitical instability could undermine the macroeconomic gains Sierra Leone has made over the past two years. He emphasized that Sierra Leone's heavy dependence on imports leaves the country especially exposed to rising prices and reduced access to critical agricultural inputs, includ ing fertilizer, ammonia, and urea, with potentially serious consequences for food security and social stability. 'The crisis in the Middle East is a clear and present danger that will force developing countries to seek alternative sources of fertilizer,' Bangura said, while urging the United Kingdom to provide leadership in coordinating a global response. To cushion the impact on vulnerable economies, he called for emergency concessional financing, a coordinated international procurement mechanism for agricultural inputs to ensure fair distribution, and citizen-centered policymaking to improve the effectiveness of development interventions. Bangura also participated in the Fiscal Resilience Roundtable, which examined ways international partners can better support developing countries in strengthening domestic revenue mobilization, improving public expenditure efficiency, and reinforcing debt management systems. On the sidelines of the conference, he held bilateral meetings with key global financial leaders, including Dr. Sidi Ould Tah, President of the African Development Bank Group; Phil Stevens, Director for International Finance at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; and Leslie Maasdorp, Chief Executive Officer of British International Investment. The conference drew senior stakeholders from across government, multilateral institutions, and the private sector, including Rt. Hon. Baroness Chapman, the UK's Minister of State for International Development and Africa, Nick Dyer, Interim Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and representatives from the World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization and World Food Programme.