There are growing calls for the government to reverse its plan to cut foreign aid spending, with Bill and Melinda Gates’ organization among those announcing it will step in to fill the void.
Labor and the Archbishop of Canterbury have stepped up their demands for policy changes, saying the move by a consortium of charities underscores the damage caused by the move.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), the ELMA Foundation and the Open Society Foundation pledge £ 93million in a one-year plan to help replace cuts in the UK aid budget, according to Sky News.
The Sunday Times reported that the funding would target projects to tackle preventable diseases and family planning.
Mr Johnson’s government confirmed last year that it would break its own manifesto promise by reducing “temporarily” to 0.5% from 0.7% the amount of national income spent on foreign aid due to the economic blow caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Since then, the UK has announced cuts to the United Nations agency fighting AIDS and HIV – over 80% – and a former aid minister said “much more” than 100,000 people will die following them.
The Sunday Times said the consortium’s plan to highlight the shortfall was aimed at embarrassing the Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Labor Party International Development Secretary Preet Kaur Gill said in a statement: “This is a shameful moment for this Conservative government.
“As low-income countries continue to fight the pandemic, this contribution to try to bridge part of the gap left by the government’s cutbacks in survival assistance programs is welcome, but it will not prevent the worst damage done. .
“The government’s decision to cut the aid budget, against the will of parliament, has already cost lives and they must reverse it or put it to a vote as soon as …
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Source: news.sky.com
This notice was published: 2021-07-11 09:57:00
