March 2, 2021 — David Miliband, President and CEO at the International Rescue Committee, said:
“The news today that the UK is cutting by more than half its aid to help the people of Yemen is inexplicable. On its own merits, there is no more pressing set of humanitarian needs than those in Yemen, whose people need more aid not less. And in terms of Britain’s own responsibilities and reputation, this decision flies in the face of its role on the UN Security Council, where it is in charge of the Yemen file. Britain should be leading the way in finding a new start for Yemen, not compounding the damage of six years of fruitless war.”
This cut in spending comes at a time when acute malnutrition amongst children under five is at record levels, and when the UK has made leading global efforts to avert famine the hallmark of its aid policy. It is hard to imagine a more self-defeating decision for the UK, or disastrous decision for Yemenis. Without funding UN and humanitarian agencies will have no choice but to scale back lifesaving programming and more Yemenis will die.
What we have seen today are not the actions of a “Global Britain”. That phrase rings hollow. As the UK prepares to host the G7, the reduction of assistance to Yemen is a stark warning of what is to come as the Government delivers on widespread cuts across the entire UK Aid portfolio. Make no mistake, as the UK abandons its commitment to 0.7%, it is simultaneously undermining its global reputation."