Ethiopia is projected to have the world's largest humanitarian caseload in 2023, with the UN estimating that 28.6 million people will be in need of assistance. In January, I [Minister Mitchell] announced support that will improve access to food or nutrition supplies for 600,000 people. On 21 March I met with Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister Demeke and finance Minister Shide and discussed the enormous levels of humanitarian need and the UK's humanitarian support to Ethiopia.

No UK funding goes directly to local Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in Ethiopia; however, in calendar year 2022, the UK provided £7.6 million to the pooled Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund (EHF) to support a range of international and local NGOs. As a donor to the EHF, the UK has encouraged the localisation agenda. In 2022, EHF funding to local NGOs - directly and through subgrants - amounted to $26.5 million (£21 million) an increase of 36% from 2021.

We are extremely concerned by reports of widespread human rights violations and abuses in Ethiopia. Civilians must be protected and the violence must stop. The UK is supporting the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to ensure that their joint investigation into atrocities in Tigray, with the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, is independent, transparent and impartial and holds the parties to this conflict directly responsible for their actions. It will issue its report on 1 November. We are also examining how we can best support institutions undertaking investigations into Human Rights abuses and violations. The Foreign Secretary, our Ambassador in Addis Ababa and I continue to raise human rights issues in our discussions with the Ethiopian Government and more broadly we have reminded all warring parties of their obligations under international humanitarian law.

The table below sets out centrally let contracts with (a) for-profit private companies and (b) private contractors in the last three years (2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19 YTD) for education programmes in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Afghanistan, Ghana and Uganda.

DFID is supporting the development of climate resilient water and sanitation services in climate vulnerable countries in Africa and Asia. For example, in Ethiopia, DFID has supported investments in water supply schemes which are more resilient to droughts. DFID also plans to support the Government of Ethiopia in improving the management of groundwater, to upgrade water and sanitation infrastructure to make it more resilient, and to build the capability of staff to use climate information.

In Nepal, DFID has supported rural water programmes to implement climate resilient designs and understand the potential impacts of climate change.

We are also working with the World Health Organisation to support Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nepal and Bangladesh to improve disease surveillance and use water and sanitation safety management tools to reduce the risks of outbreaks of cholera and other diseases which are affected by climate change.