Supporters of U.K. foreign aid finally got what they wanted. After mounting pressure from both sides of the debate, Prime Minister Theresa May affirmed the country’s 0.7 percent foreign aid spending commitment.
The Disasters Emergency Committee said it raised £50 million in three weeks to support humanitarian aid for people in East Africa. While it is good news in the short term, there is concern that the constant cycle of these emergency appeals fails to help address underlying issues.
Nigeria launched a vaccination campaign to stop the meningitis outbreak responsible for killing more than 300 people. Health workers will administer some 500,000 vaccinations in the northwest part of the country to protect people against the deadly disease. Another 800,000 vaccine doses are expected to arrive from the U.K. to be distributed throughout the country.
U.K. initiatives that aim to stem migration across the Mediterranean need more careful consideration, according to an independent watchdog group. The Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) analyzed existing and proposed programs that are funded by U.K. foreign aid money and identified the potential for success, as well as unintended consequences.
As the U.K. prepares to leave the European Union it is reworking trade deals to try to ensure a smooth transition. On the sidelines are developing countries putting some $395 million in annual trade at risk, according to the Overseas Development Institute (ODI). The London-based think tank warned that neglecting the preferential deals could hurt the countries that rely on the U.K. as a trading partner.
Britain has appointed the country’s first ambassador for gender equality, joining a handful of other countries that created the position in an effort to empower women and girls around the world.
Refugees trying to reach Europe will be encouraged to move to Asia and Latin America as part of a British aid package intended to bolster a U.N. scheme, Prime Minister Theresa May announced at an EU summit.
The U.K. government announced that it will spend £1.9 million to construct a wall in the French port city of…
Critics of Saudi Arabia’s military involvement in Yemen are trying to use the second conference of the Arms Trade Treaty to urge all countries to cease selling arms to the Saudi government, especially the U.K. and U.S.
Israeli prosecutors charged a World Vision aid worker on Thursday with diverting tens of millions of dollars meant for aid…