Reports have it that the British government was considering slashing aids to countries in conflict zones globally, with financial aid to Nigeria to be reduced by 58 percent.
This was disclosed by openDemocracy – an international media firm – Friday, stating that discussions to reduce aid to countries such as Syria, South Sudan, among others were held by “senior British civil servants”.
As of the time of writing this report, there had no official confirmation to the story.
It stated that aid to Syria would be slashed to 45 million pounds, from the promised 137 million pounds the previous year.
Aid to Libya, the report stated, would be reduced by 63 percent between 2021 and 2022.
While aid to Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo could see a 60 percent reduction.
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South Sudan will see support drop from 110 million pounds to 45 million pounds.
“These figures – which were discussed by senior officials at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) last month according to email correspondence seen by openDemocracy – included cutting British aid to Nigeria for the next financial year by 58%, and reducing assistance to the Western Balkans by 50%,” it read.
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In 2010, the British Conservative government had made a pledge to send a slice of Britain’s annual revenue to some of the world’s poorest countries.
The British Government’s sudden turnaround on its plan could be a result of the harsh effects of the pandemic on its economy.
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But the government has come under fire for its decision. It was criticised for backing out of its promise.
Analysts say that the funding of poor countries through overseas development aid (ODA) accounted for only 0.7 percent of the UK’s Gross National Income (GNI).
If the plans to cut aids to beneficiary countries are achieved, the ODA would only make up a paltry 0.5 percent of the country’s total GNI, which is against the legally-backed 0.7 percent.
Speaking on the proposed cuts, the Chair of the House of Commons International Development Committee, Sarah Champion, said to openDemocracy, “Reports of aid cuts to countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and Syria — among many others on the brink of humanitarian crises — are deeply concerning.”
