#foreign-aid

#foreign-aid

The UK government has launched a new strategy to advance gender equality around the world on the same day that MPs announced plans to investigate the impact of UK aid cuts on women and girls.The global strategy, launched by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) on International Women's Day on Wednesday, will, it says, put more focus on gender equality in its work, while also supporting sexual and reproductive health programmes and funding grassroots women's rights groups.

Britain should maintain its influence around the world by making lasting partnerships with up-and-coming states across Latin America, Asia and Africa, the foreign secretary will argue in his first major speech.James Cleverly, who campaigned for Brexit in 2016, will say the UK is ready to make investments of faith in non-traditional allies as part of a long-term foreign policy designed to last for decades.

Qatar is sending 10,000 mobile homes that were used as accommodation during the 2022 World Cup to areas hit by earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.More than one million people have been left homeless in Turkey and the number could be much higher in Syria, aid organisations have warned.Rescue operations are beginning to wind down in the two countries.

KYIV, Ukraine  The Ukrainian government has struggled to raise money on bond markets during the war and is paying investors more than it is collecting, according to a Central Bank statement that points to the country's deepening dependence on foreign aid.About a fifth of Ukraine's territory is occupied by Russian forces.

On Wednesday, December 7 at 19:30 GMT: As Russia's invasion of Ukraine enters its tenth month and winter sets in, Ukrainians are bracing themselves for a long season without heat and water.For months, Russia has been targeting Ukraine's power plants and pipelines through repeated aerial bombardments.

The UK has not given enough in foreign aid, the UN relief chief said as he appealed for more funding to help the world's most vulnerable.Martin Griffiths said we would like to have seen more in overseas aid spending from Britain, stressing that money counts.Rishi Sunak was criticised for slashing the foreign aid budget from 0.7% to 0.5% of national income when he was chancellor in the wake of the hit to the economy from the Covid pandemic.

A further 800m is being slashed from the UK's overseas aid spending  days after Jeremy Hunt pledged to remain a world leader in tackling global poverty.The 30 per cent cut in direct aid to needy countries  for the next two years  follows those projects being hit by the steepest budget reductions last year, a senior MP warned.