LONDON, 17 November – Following the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement on UK overseas aid budget today, Kirsty McNeill, Save the Children UK's executive director for policy, advocacy and campaigns, said:

“Today's acknowledgment that the government may spend above the 0.5% aid target demonstrates some welcome recognition that the hard ceiling on spending has been distorting aid for far too long. 

“The government makes claims of its compassion, but with Somalia on the brink of a catastrophic famine amid the worst drought for 40 years, the UK's failure to live up to its past record is putting children’s lives at risk.

“And powerful testimonies at COP27 have made it clearer than ever that countries on the front line of the climate crisis need allies to significantly step up.

“If the new Prime Minister is serious about restoring UK global leadership, there is no substitute for a return to 0.7%."

END

For more information, please contact:

 media@savethechildren.org.uk / +44(0)7831 650409