Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the access to clean and safe water for the citizens of Harare.

The UK is concerned about the humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe which includes a lack of access to clean and safe water for Zimbabweans. Out of an estimated daily demand of 800 mega litres, the City of Harare produces approximately 500 mega litres. We are also worried about the vast leakages in the water system due to old and ill-maintained infrastructure, and the diminishing water quality.

Through a multi-donor trust fund called ZIMFUND, the UK has, since 2010, supported the rehabilitation of water supply infrastructure to improve waste water treatment capacity and water supply to some areas. Through UNICEF we are supporting the City of Harare with repairing water infrastructures and boreholes in cholera prone areas. In early 2020, the UK adapted existing programmes to support Zimbabwe's Covid-19 response which included access to clean and safe water for Zimbabweans. The UK also allocated £5 million to UNICEF for cholera prevention and emergency response.