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Aid agencies call on Australia to increase foreign aid budget

World Vision Australia is calling on the Australian Government to increase the amount of foreign aid it gives after a report showed it had dropped two places in the latest ranking to 17 out of of 29 wealthy nations.

The latest  Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development report puts Australia’s relative generosity at 19th of the 29 nations, two below last year’s ranking of 17th and the third consecutive drop in its ranking over the past three years.

Tim Costello, World Vision Australia’s chief advocate, says the result was “disappointing” particularly compared with the United Kingdom, which is ranked three times as generous as Australia, giving 0.7 per cent of GNI.

“The UK has maintained its aid levels over the past decade, despite economic challenges, because of a bipartisan commitment not to balance the budget on the back of the world’s most vulnerable people,” said Mr Costello. “Meanwhile Australia’s government has continuously slashed our aid budget…”

The data shows Australia gives just 23 cents out of every $100 of gross national income to foreign aid, well down from the previous peak of 33 cents and, based on figures in the 2017-18 Federal Budget, World Vision says the “downward spiral is set to continue”.

World Vision is calling for the foreign aid budget to be restored back to 33 cents out of every $100 of GNI over the next six years.

Meanwhile, Oxfam Australia Chief Executive Dr Helen Szoke, described the OECD data as “disheartening news”, especially give recent reporting suggested further cuts to the foreign aid budget may be coming.

She said Australia’s giving rate was “well below the average of other countries and proportionately less than countries with a lower GDP than our own – including Belgium, Ireland and New Zealand”.

“Behind these statistics are real people – in vulnerable communities on our doorstep and multiple humanitarian crisis around the globe – who need help from Australian aid to to tackle poverty, inequality and climate change…Aid should be a priority for any government that is committed to building a safe and secure world free from poverty and inequality.”

The OECD report showed that overall rich nations spent more on helping poor countries last year but less on refugees at home, leading to stagnation in overall aid expenditure – which remains well below United Nations’ targets.

Only five countries – Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden and Britain – met the United Nations’ target of spending 0.7 per cent of GNI on development aid.

 

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