development aid

EU governments have today furthered the recent trend of using development aid to advance their own short-sighted interests. They have adopted a new framework for the European Union’s development policy that neither listens to EU citizens nor focuses on eradicating poverty.

Rich countries are exaggerating how much they are spending to tackle poverty and inequality in poor countries.

The budget deal struck by EU governments, the European Parliament and the European Commission promises more funds for the EU’s external action, but diverts money from those most in need, warn development and humanitarian organizations.

Development NGOs Oxfam, ONE and Plan international welcomed a European Parliament vote to reject proposed cuts and to increase of the EU's external spending, supporting for the fight to end extreme poverty.

In an joint statement Oxfam and 10 other NGOs are cautioning against a strong shift of Europe's development programming towards migration management.

With its new ‘migration compact’, the EU rewriting its foreign policy so that it serves the single objective of stopping people from coming to Europe, Oxfam said.

Development aid has reached an all-time high, but with 900 million people still living in extreme poverty much more needs to be done, says Oxfam.

The governments of rich states today cleared the way for the diversion of development aid away from the poorest.

Governments across Europe are planning to divert scarce development aid budgets to cover security and defense costs, anti-poverty campaigners understand.