Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking (a) in response to the disruption to the covid-19 strategy in Myanmar and (b) to prevent the further spread of covid-19 in that country.

The UK has provided £35.5 million for the COVID response in Myanmar to date, which is being delivered via NGOs and UN organisations. We have also re-orientated our wider aid portfolio to mitigate the effects of COVID, prioritising support for health and humanitarian support. UK aid is supporting COVID prevention and providing essential access to clean water, food, sanitation and medical services. We are working with civil society organisations in conflict-affected areas not controlled by the government to improve risk communication within communities and expand testing. We are concerned about reports of rising numbers of COVID cases in Myanmar. We will continue to monitor the situation and work with our partners to respond.