Responding to the launch of the Government’s White Paper on International Development, Gwen Hines, Chief Executive of Save the Children, said:

“The White Paper is a positive step in the right direction. But without addressing the havoc inflicted by short-sighted aid cuts, there is a long, long way to go.

“It is encouraging that the government has identified the devastating effects of conflict, COVID and the climate crisis for the poorest and most vulnerable children, and is renewing its focus on the Sustainable Development Goals in response. A new approach to building resilience to future crises and a commitment to help maximise the impact that remittances can make in the poorest countries are particularly welcome, as is a focus on genuine transparency.

"However, this White Paper comes in the context of the decimation of the UK's international development role in recent years, with savage cuts to the aid budget and world-leading expertise lost through the closure of the Department for International Development."

ENDS

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