Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions her Department has had with representatives of the Government of Mozambique on potential UK aid in the aftermath of cyclone Idai.

The UK has been monitoring the situation in Mozambique since last week. The situation is extremely concerning. Beira – a city of half a million people in central Mozambique has been cut off since the weekend with no water or electricity. Other areas are under water.

The Government of Mozambique’s Disaster Agency is leading the response and we have been coordinating closely with them. They are being supported by UN agencies, international and local NGOs. The Secretary of State approved an allocation of £4 million from the humanitarian reserve. A plane load of shelter materials landed in Maputo today in response to an initial request. We will continue to work closely with the Government and partners to identify further needs.