Dear Chancellor,
I am writing to you because I am very worried about what the cuts to UK aid mean for the UK’s ability to prevent and respond to famine and hunger crises globally.
I hate to see what is happening in countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ethiopia right now, where millions of families are facing extreme hunger, whilst famine already exists in Gaza and Sudan. 733 million people around the world are going hungry. Women and girls are being hit hardest, facing higher rates of food insecurity and malnutrition in every region of the world.
The UK Government has made the decision to reduce the aid budget to 0.3% of GNI just as hunger is rising globally. But this decision can be reversed. I know it can, and I’ve got to believe this government will do the right thing when called upon. The global hunger crisis is urgent, but it is not inevitable. I think the UK must do more, not less.
This Government should immediately reverse the decision to further reduce the already slashed, and restore ODA to at least 0.5% as a matter of urgency. This is an essential first step toward honouring the UK’s legal and moral commitment to 0.7%, enabling the UK to respond to escalating global humanitarian needs, rebuild credibility, and deliver on foreign policy priorities.
With the Spending Review just around the corner, and in the face of declining aid budgets from all the world’s major donor’s, UK leadership to protect people and save the lives of those in crisis is needed now more than ever.
Please. Don’t abandon people on the edge of famine when they need us most.
