UK government urged 'to make good on foreign aid promise'

The British government has consistently failed to reach its decades-old promise to increase the amount of money it gives in foreign aid, it has been claimed.

Marking 40 years since UN nations pledged to give at least 0.7 per cent of their respective national incomes over to foreign aid, so as to combat hunger and disease, Oxfam has held a 'birthday celebration' to highlight the fact the UK is still nowhere near to fulfilling this.

The charity has also pointed out that 2010 represents the tenth anniversary of the introduction of the Millennium Development Goals, with again much still to be done to fulfill the aims of eradicating poverty and hunger and reducing child mortality rates from preventable diseases.

"If all of the UN member countries came good on their promise to give 0.7 per cent every year, potentially millions of lives would be saved around the developing world," Malcolm Fleming, Oxfam Scotland's campaigns manager told the Herald.

"The government has since set a target of 2013 to reach 0.7 per cent but they must take huge steps towards achieving that in 2010," he added.

These comments come just days after the world's aid charities marked the fifth anniversary of the Asian tsunami.

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