Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to support people in developing countries at risk of falling into poverty as a result of covid-19.

COVID-19 is the biggest threat this country has faced in a generation. And we are not alone. All over the world we are seeing the devastating impacts of this pandemic, to health and economies.

The UK is a global leader in international efforts on the COVID-19 response, having already pledged £744 million in UK aid. This assistance includes immediate life-saving humanitarian and health interventions as well as assistance for countries and populations coping with the economic shock of the pandemic. At the global level we have given an additional contribution of up to £150 million of UK aid to the International Monetary Fund’s Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust. This will help to provide Governments with the financial space to support health and social protection responses. We have also doubled our £2.2 billion loan to the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust. At the country level we are working with our partners to review and, where necessary, adjust our programmes to support the most vulnerable populations, including preventing the reversal of so many hard-won development gains.

The UK is also using its foreign aid budget and British expertise to stop the spread of COVID-19 internationally, build resilience in vulnerable countries, find a vaccine, new drugs and therapeutics. This is the only long-term solution to the pandemic.

We are helping to prevent the poorest countries – which represent a quarter of the world’s population - from collapse by supporting their economies and access to skills and education. This will help save millions of lives and reduce the risk of future waves of infection, that could come to the UK.