STAFF REPORTER
The United Kingdom has directed its Ambassadors to cut aid budget by more than half in a blow for developing countries such as Zimbabwe which relies on aid for humanitarian issues, Business Times can report.
The cut comes as one of Europe’s biggest economies, like any other countries, is battling the second wave of COVID-19 with resources being marshalled to stem the effects of the virus amid a spike in new cases and deaths.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office gave Ambassadors three weeks to effect the cuts, according to Labour MP Sarah Champion.
“Our Ambassadors have today been instructed by @FCDOGovUK to cut 50-70% from their aid budget.
They have three weeks to do it. There is no doubt that lives will be lost as a consequence & our global standing as humanitarians destroyed. Welcome to day 26 of Global Britain,” tweeted Champion, who also chairs the International Development Select Committee.
British Ambassador to Zimbabwe Melanie Robinson was not available for comment as she was said to be in a Zoom meeting with UK foreign office officials.
The cut in aid will be a blow for developing countries such as Zimbabwe as they have been adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Revenues are inadequate to meet the needs and has assisted to plug the hole as Zimbabwe cannot borrow from multilateral institutions due to a debt overhang.
A new report by Oxfam shows that Covid-19 has the potential to increase economic inequality in almost every country at once, the first time this has happened since records began over a century ago.
It said rising inequality means it could take at least 14 times longer for the number of people living in poverty to return to pre-pandemic levels than it took for the fortunes of the top 1,000 billionaires to bounce back.
