By Mark | January 10, 2012
British parliamentarians query choice of countries to receive UK aid.
Should the UK have bilateral aid programmes for Lesotho and Swaziland?
A report by British parliamentarians queries some the approaches and methodology used by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) in its Bilateral Aid Review. Read the rest of this entry »
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By Sarah | September 29, 2011
The Guardian, 28 September 2011
Zimbabwe has launched a $75m plan to protect orphans and vulnerable children over the next three years.
The money will come from the Zimbabwean government and donors, including the UK, the European Commission and the UN children’s agency, Unicef. Some $45m of the money for a child protection fund has been raised from donors, leaving a $30m shortfall that will need to be covered before full national coverage can be ensured. Read the rest of this entry »
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By Mark | September 14, 2011
Swaziland and Pretoria
Geraldine Donnelly
“Good morning it is Wednesday 14th September 2011, 6.11am…”
And so our day begins, the radio greets us as we board the minibus for the last time in Swaziland to be taken to the airport as we embark on our last journey to Johannesburg, South Africa. Read the rest of this entry »
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By Campaigns | July 14, 2011
Following a diplomatic row between the British and Malawian governments, Malawi ordered the British High Commissioner to leave the country. Britain froze any new government to government aid, ordered the Malawi High Commissioner to London to leave the country and reviewed its aid to Malawi. The row emerged after a report the British High Commissioner sent to the Foreign Office in London, which was critical of the President, saying he showed increasing authoritarian tendencies was leaked.
The British Government has now decided to cut government to government aid to Malawi indefinitely. Britain was Malawi’s largest single aid donor. The statement from DFID makes no mention of the diplomatic row but that clearly led to the aid review and decision to cut government to government aid. Read the rest of this entry »
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By Mark | April 27, 2011
The report on the expulsion of the British High Commissioner Mr Fegus Cochrane-Dyet to Malawi has raised concerns from all quarters of Malawian society. The Malawi government through the Minister of Foreign Affairs told the British High Commissioner to leave Malawi within 48 hours. According to various academics and historians alike, the decision is a misjudgement and there is rising demand for the President to reverse the decision. The British government have since informed the Acting Malawian High Commissioner to London to leave as soon as possible. Read the rest of this entry »
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By Tony | March 4, 2011
ACTSA’s Director, Tony Dykes comments on the government’s aid review
On 1 March the Secretary of State for International Development announced the results of the aid review. There were winners, where the aid budget was increased and losers where aid was cut completely. Action for Southern Africa is asking that the decision to cut the UK aid budget to Lesotho be reviewed. It is one of the poorest countries in the world and has the 3rd highest rate of HIV/AIDS. Nearly 50 per cent of the population try to live on less than $1.25 cents a day. The Department for International Development (DFID) spent £5 million in Lesotho in 09/10. Not a lot, but Lesotho is relatively small with 2 million people and £5 million spent well there can make an important contribution to poverty reduction and development. It could have a much greater impact in Lesotho than being re-allocated. (DFID) says Lesotho is one of the poorest countries in the world with a high degree of vulnerability. So we think right to push for a rethink. Read the rest of this entry »
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By Sarah | March 1, 2011
ACTSA press release, 1 March 2011
Britain should not close its bilateral aid programme to Lesotho which it will do if the announcement in the bilateral aid review is not reconsidered. Read the rest of this entry »
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By Info | November 18, 2010
The Guardian, Wednesday 17 November 2010
De-mining priority
That DfID is to continue funding landmine clearance in Iraq and step up its operations is good news. What Andrew Mitchell didn’t say is that DfID has stopped funding mine action in Angola although it is still seriously affected by landmines from its civil war that ended in 2002.
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By Info | November 9, 2010
The Global Fund to fight Aids, TB and Malaria is well short of the $13 billion it needs in the next three years to maintain the disease-fighting programmes it currently supports in the developing world. Stephen Lewis argues that the decision the UK makes now could have a domino effect and change the fate of millions.
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By Info | July 20, 2010
DFID, 20 July 2010
Climate change will reverse years of work reducing poverty without strong, urgent action, according to a report released today.
The future climate for development calls on governments and NGOs to build climate change into their economic development programmes to help low-income countries manage its impacts and seize new opportunities as the world shifts to a low-carbon economy. Read the rest of this entry »
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