Oxfam response to the Chancellor’s plan to cut aid to 0.5%

“Cutting the UK’s lifeline to the world’s poorest communities in the midst of a global pandemic will lead to tens of thousands of otherwise preventable deaths. At a time when hundreds of millions of people are hungry and decades of progress against poverty is under threat, today’s decision is a false economy which diverts money for clean water and medicines to pay for bombs and bullets.

“The fact the government has taken this decision before its own long-awaited Integrated Review is complete shows that this is hasty short-term politics not sensible long-term strategy.

“Breaking our aid promise risks significantly undermining one of the UK’s genuine claims to global leadership at a time when it will need all the moral authority it can muster as host of next year’s G7 summit and UN Climate Change negotiations. Instead of global Britain, we risk looking like little Britain. The Prime Minister should reverse the cut at the first possible opportunity.”