The UK was a key partner during Malawi's worst ever cholera outbreak in 2022/23, disbursing emergency funds, deploying an Emergency Medical Team and leveraging additional funding from other donors in support of the Government of Malawi's response. Although numbers are much reduced this cholera season, The BHC Lilongwe team continues to monitor the data and work with Ministry of Health and development partners to support the response and mitigate the risk of another outbreak. This includes recent new funding for resilience and preparedness activities in affected districts through our bilateral health programme, as well as pulling in support from a Centrally Managed health security programme (TDDAP2) to build the capacity of Malawi's health system and institutions to prevent, detect and respond to health emergencies such as cholera.

The approval of an $178 million Extended Credit Facility (ECF) in Malawi reflects important reform progress by the Government of Malawi to boost economic growth. The recent 44 per cent exchange rate realignment was a tough, but necessary measure to secure an ECF, as foreign exchange reserves were critically low and the overvalued currency was hampering export competitiveness. The UK development programme in Malawi will continue to provide support over this period of economic adjustment. In coordination with other partners, this support will include prioritising additional support for those facing food insecurity, through providing cash and food.

The FCDO's Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocations are set out in my [Andrew Mitchell] Written Ministerial Statement of 30 March. We plan to publish full breakdowns of the allocations, including by country, in the FCDO Annual Report and Accounts 2022 to 2023. Allocations are regularly reviewed to respond to changing global needs to ensure ODA is being used most effectively.

We remain committed to doubling our International Climate Finance to £11.6 billion between 2021/22 and 2025/26 and to balancing our funding between mitigation and adaptation. This will include programmes that seek to build the resilience of those most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

The Government is committed to returning to spending to 0.7 per cent of gross national income (GNI) on ODA as soon as the fiscal situation allows. We will return to spending 0.7 per cent of GNI on ODA when, on a sustainable basis, the government is no longer borrowing for day-to-day spending and when underlying debt is falling.

The Government of Malawi continues to engage with the international financial intuitions to try and achieve a sustainable debt position, and the UK is supportive of these efforts. The recently released Post Disaster Needs Assessment of the cyclone confirms that cyclone damage will cut GDP growth by an estimated 0.5 per cent this year.

The UK supported Mozambique's response to Cyclone Freddy with emergency shelter and cholera support. We are working closely with other multilaterals, to adapt existing programmes where possible to respond to Cyclone Freddy such as: Health and infrastructure/water and sanitation.

The UK Government supports Malawi in tackling low economic growth, which involves tackling reducing income inequality and youth unemployment. Our new Malawi Trade and Investment Programme will launch this year and aims to stimulate a step change in Malawi's growth by promoting higher value and export sectors, cutting time and costs of trade and logistics, raising international and domestic investment in new exports, and creating jobs. On income inequality, our Building Resilience and Adapting to Climate Change programme is contributing to a reduction in extreme poverty and ending the recurrent cycle of hunger and humanitarian assistance in Malawi.

The UK Government continue to explore areas we can support Malawi's reform agenda, including on anti-corruption and inclusive sustainable economic development that supports the poorest. Our new Malawi Trade and Investment Programme will launch this year and will aim to stimulate a step change in Malawi's growth by promoting higher value export sectors, cutting time and costs of trade and logistics, raising international and domestic investment in new exports, and creating jobs and income opportunities.

UK funded programmes, which were delivered through the Campaign for Female Education, provided direct support to 12,436 disadvantaged girls to help them stay in school and succeed. Our health programming in Malawi has a strong focus on women's health and supports progress on (i) maternal and child health in hard-to-reach areas and (ii) improving access for women to family planning services.

The Government of Malawi is leading the work to calculate the funds required for reconstruction and livelihood restoration following Cylcone Freddy. The Government of Malawi is doing this in consultation with development partners including the UK. The UK government provided £1 million to support an initial emergency response which included (i) deploying a 27-person team of UK Search & Rescue experts, (ii) donating specialist equipment, (ii) supporting a UK funded Emergency Medical Team, and (iii) providing shelter and water purification kits.

The UK is working closely with the Governments of Malawi and Mozambique to respond to Cyclone Freddy. In Malawi, we are supporting the Emergency Operations Centre established in Blantyre and working closely with partners to rapidly identify the needs of those affected. We are looking at options for further UK support including to help those still stranded, to help manage trauma cases and to extend our support to tackle the ongoing cholera outbreak. In Mozambique, we are providing shelter and dignity kits for up to 30,000 people and providing extra funding to reduce the cholera risk.

The UK is working closely with the Government of Malawi and international agencies to respond to Cyclone Freddy. We are supporting the Emergency Operations Centre established in Blantyre and working closely with partners to rapidly identify the needs of those affected. We are looking at options for further UK support including how we can help those still stranded, help manage trauma cases and extend our support to tackle the ongoing cholera outbreak.

The UK endorses the President of Malawi's commitment to fight corruption in Malawi. We welcome the reversal of the decision to suspend the Director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Martha Chizuma, after criminal charges against her were dropped. The UK provides technical assistance to Malawian law enforcement agencies, such as the Anti-Corruption Bureau, to help increase their capacity to pursue cases linked to serious corruption.

The UK has allocated £500,000 towards the Government of Malawi's response. This will contribute to the establishment of community oral rehydration points, provision of urgent cholera supplies, strengthening measures to prevent spread of cholera, rapid water testing, and repair and treatment of boreholes. In addition, the UK has also provided technical support to the World Health Organisation (WHO) to deploy a water and sanitation expert to Malawi, and the UK Emergency Medical Team arrives next week to support best practice patient care. Further UK funding is being disbursed through the humanitarian Start Fund to support cholera work in refugee camps.

The FCDO is committed to transparency with the public and predictability with our partners. We will update on planned Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocations for this Spending Review period in due course.

The UK is monitoring the worsening cholera outbreak in Malawi and has allocated £500,000 towards the Government of Malawi's response. This will contribute to the establishment of community oral rehydration points, provision of urgent cholera supplies, strengthening measures to prevent spread of cholera, rapid water testing, and repair and treatment of boreholes. In addition, the UK has funded the deployment of technical support and provided funding to support the response in refugee camps. We have also provided technical support to the World Health Organisation (WHO) through the Standby Partnership network by deploying a water sanitation expert in Lilongwe this month to help tackle the cholera outbreak in Malawi. Further UK funding is also being disbursed through the humanitarian Start Fund to support cholera work in refugee camps through the non-governmental organisation Welthungerhilfe. The UK will continue to work together with all organisations to strengthen coordination and support partners using both human and financial resources to tackle the cholera outbreak.

The UK is monitoring the worsening cholera outbreak in Malawi and has allocated £500,000 towards the Government of Malawi's response. This will contribute to the establishment of community oral rehydration points, provision of urgent cholera supplies, strengthening measures to prevent spread of cholera, rapid water testing, and repair and treatment of boreholes. In addition, the UK has funded the deployment of technical support and provided funding to support the response in refugee camps. Schools have closed for at least two weeks in Blantyre and Lilongwe districts and this will negatively impact education. As part of COVID, the Global Partnership for Education (to which the UK is the main donor) had funded boreholes for handwashing in schools and the UK is working with partners on the steps needed to re-open schools while keeping children safe.