Emergency food aid

Ministers have been accused of picking the “worst moment in history” to decrease the foreign assistance budget, with preliminary numbers revealing that the UK’s overseas humanitarian spending was cut by more than half last year.

MPs and relief advocates believe the assistance budget must be boosted immediately to deal with the Ukraine crisis and the prospect of hunger in Africa. Drought has caused extreme famine for up to 23 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia.

The United Nations has warned that the Ukraine crisis might push 1.7 billion people – one-fifth of the world’s population – into poverty, despair, and famine. Last week, the government announced plans to increase humanitarian help by sending less money to foreign organisations and focusing on direct aid from the UK.

According to reports, Western authorities are concerned that Vladimir Putin is “weaponizing” global food supply. Russia and Ukraine export roughly one-third of the world’s wheat and barley.

“It would be difficult to think of a worse time in history for the government to be lowering its foreign assistance budget,” said Sarah Champion MP, Labour head of the Commons international development committee.

“We are the only member of the wealthy G7 grouping to do so.” It is harming our international reputation – as well as the survival chances of some of the world’s poorest people.”

Champion called the new plan as a “rehash of current mantras” last week, but praised its emphasis on women and girls. She warned that “aid for trade” policies were harmful because they may undermine the primary aim of foreign assistance, which is to help the poor and most vulnerable.

“Stepping up our life-saving humanitarian efforts to avoid the worst forms of human suffering throughout the world is one of the top goals given out by the foreign secretary in the UK’s international development plan this week,” stated the FCDO.

“We will prioritise humanitarian funding levels at £3 billion over the next three years in order to maintain our position as a worldwide leader in disaster response, especially in Africa.”