The United Kingdom government’s aid cuts caused deaths by pulling funding from climate early warning systems in Malawi and contributed to a major cholera outbreak in the country that has killed more than 1,000 people, an NGO leader has claimed.
The claim, made by Nick Hepworth, executive director of Water Witness International, centers around cuts to the £90 million Building Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Extremes and Disasters program, known as BRACC in Malawi, which was cut in 2021 as the U.K. government reduced the aid budget from 0.7% to 0.5% of gross national income.
A key component of BRACC was early warning systems — which detected Tropical Storm Ana in January 2022 — but Hepworth’s team in Malawi were told by a relief and rehabilitation officer that the system failed in at least one district, Chikwawa, due to a lack of funding. The region consequently saw 13 people dead or missing as a result of the flooding and 84,000 displaced, according to Hepworth, citing the official’s figures.
About the author
William Worley@willrworley
Will Worley is the Climate Correspondent for Devex, covering the intersection of development and climate change. He previously worked as UK Correspondent, reporting on the FCDO and British aid policy during a time of seismic reforms. Will’s extensive reporting on the UK aid cuts saw him shortlisted for ‘Specialist Journalist of the Year’ in 2021 by the British Journalism Awards. He can be reached at william.worley@devex.com.
