Sunday 27 February 2011

Why i feel its wrong to be cutting international aid to developing countries

A news report today suggests that the UK will cut its international aid programs to several countries a report below suggests.

The UK is to stop direct aid to 16 countries, including Russia, China and Iraq, papers seen by the BBC suggest.

A draft copy of a government review of its £7.8bn overseas aid budget - to be published this week - also reveals assistance for India will be frozen.

But, overall, the international development budget will rise by a third in this parliament, it says.

International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell said spending would be a "good deal better focused".

The government's draft report states that aid spending is good for Britain's economy and safety.

Malaria deaths

It also outlines plans for greater transparency and accountability, with an emphasis on funding programmes that deliver greater results and which, specifically, help girls and women.

Resources will be concentrated on the 27 countries that account for three-quarters of the world's maternal mortality and malaria deaths, such as Ghana and Afghanistan.

LOSING DIRECT AID
Angola
Bosnia
Burundi
Cameroon
Cambodia
China
Gambia
Indonesia
Iraq
Kosovo
Lesotho
Moldova
Niger
Russia
Serbia
Vietnam
Source: Department for International Development document seen by BBC

Whilst the arguements have been made that fairly advanced countries now like China, Russia and India who all have their own space program now is a valid point all three of these countries still have large areas of povety in its working class population.

There are communities and groups of people that never get any help or funding andare left to fend for themselves even in these countries.

Alot of the time when we do send aid to these countries the money just gets stuck at the top and rarely filters its way down to those who need it most.

I do agree with the government that direct funding needs to be better targetted but that shouldnt mean less aid and funding for these developing and some poor nations.

The idea of contributing more to the world food program is not such a bad idea but i do think some of those countries on that list above produced from teh BBC are some very poor countries and i cannot for the life of me understand why we feel they can do without our help. THe likes of Moldova, Angola and Cameroon are incrediably poor nations on the world stage and still have millions in extreme povety and their people often struggle to feed themselves.

I think it was right to protect the international aid budget but whilst it was apparently protected just like the NHS we are still seeing cuts in its budget, so how protected was it really ?

I do think as one of the richest nations in the world Britain has an obligation to help other nations and peoples out i feel.

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