But the
UKIP manifesto 2015 proposes that this is repealed and the aid budget is slashed by
two-thirds.
A
lot of Christians campaigned to ‘make poverty history’ and supported the UN’s
0.7% target so this issue merits some careful analysis.
The
case against this level of aid rests on five arguments.
The
first is that we cannot afford this level of charity and the 0.7% target means
a budget of £11.3 billion this year, which will grow or shrink as our GDP
increases or contracts.
This
constitutes just 1.4% of Government spending or £137 per citizen and it is
suggested that whilst people need food banks to feed their families and the NHS
needs increased funding; we should not be giving so much away.
It
is also implied that much of the funds given in aid are wasted.
The
Department for International Development (Dfid) is one of the most transparent
departments which carefully monitors how aid is spent and you can follow how the UK invests in developing countries
Critics
claim, thirdly, that aid doesn’t work and the desperately poor remain poor, Dfid
responds that the number in extreme poverty has halved in the last 25 years.
They
cite evidence that as a result of aid 48 million children have been immunised
from preventable diseases and 10 million children went to school last year
because of our aid.
Aid
creates dependency is a fourth argument for repealing the legislation.
Dfid
contends that aid is used to empower people and is not just given in handouts,
thus 54 million people were able to access financial services to start or sustain
a micro business venture.
It
is also suggested that we give aid to wealthy countries like China and India,
that don’t need it.
We
don’t give any aid to China but India is a more controversial case.
It
is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, has a £24 billion defence
budget and has spent £25 million sending a spaceship to the moon.
Despite
this 68% of the Indian population live on less than £1 per day and Dfid has
cancelled aid to India from this year and shifted its support to technical
assistance.
Their
priority countries are Ethiopia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nigeria where need is
far greater.
Humanitarian is not the only reason for giving aid.
It
is also used to signal diplomatic approval and sustain strategic relationships,
which is why we give aid to Pakistan, despite scepticism about their commitment
to stopping the Taliban and Islamic hardliners.
Aid
buys influence with Pakistan’s Government and also helps us to gain commercial
access to recipient markets.
Whilst
it is legitimate to ensure that aid is given to the right countries and spent
as intended.
The humanitarian, diplomatic and trade reasons for giving it
remain strong and morally right from a Christian perspective.
To
cancel aid to the most needy would be to behave like the priest and Levite in
the Parable of the Good Samaritan
