UK minister confirms intention to restore aid spending to 0.7%
In the United Kingdom, Minister for International Development Kirsty McNeill confirmed the Labour Party’s election promise to restore international aid spending to 0.7% of national income. However, she did not name a timeframe, saying that the government would move toward this goal when budget circumstances allow, The Guardian reports.
Effectiveness of aid
McNeill said that she supports British international aid and considers it an important tool for saving and improving people’s lives. According to her, voters are most concerned about the effectiveness of spending and the relationship between expenditure and results, so the government must make the most of the limited resources available.
The minister also promised to develop new flexible partnerships to address development challenges. She links her work to five areas: health security, climate security, food security, human security and economic security. McNeill plans to seek reforms of international organizations that distribute British aid, as well as create dedicated partnerships for specific tasks.
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Support for countries during El Niño
On Monday, McNeill is due to set out her priorities in a speech to charities and activists at the New Economics Foundation think tank. She plans to announce that the government will make up to £15 million available from the humanitarian crises fund for preventive measures in countries at greatest risk of being affected by El Niño.
The funds may be directed, in particular, toward livestock vaccination and cash support for farmers to purchase supplies. The UN has warned that this climate phenomenon is likely to be the strongest in a thousand years and will increase the risks of wildfires and floods.
Budget cuts
The 0.7% target was introduced by Tony Blair’s government and for some time had cross-party support. Rishi Sunak’s government abandoned it during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the state sharply increased domestic spending. Charities said that new aid cuts under Labour reduced its volume to 0.3% of national income and led to a sharp reduction in bilateral support for some of the world’s poorest countries.
