A UN agency launched a scathing attack on Britain over its foreign aid budget cuts, warning that women and girls around the world will suffer as a result.
The UN Population Fund said the UK planned to cut family planning aid from £154 million ($214m) to £23m this year – a drop of 85 per cent.
Details of the cut emerged came after other programmes were identified as being in the firing line for funding cuts after Britain slashed its foreign aid budget.
The agency, UNFPA, supplies contraceptives and maternal health medicine for millions of women in some of the world’s poorest countries, trains maternal health workers, and promotes efforts to stop female genital mutilation and child marriage.
Natalia Kanem, UNFPA executive director, accused Britain of “stepping away from its commitments at a time when inequalities are deepening and international solidarity is needed more than ever”.
“These cuts will be devastating for women and girls and their families across the world,” she said.
"With the now-withdrawn £130m, the UNFPA Supplies Partnership would have helped prevent around 250,000 maternal and child deaths, 14.6 million unintended pregnancies and 4.3 million unsafe abortions.”
An additional £12m will be cut from UNFPA's core operating funds.
The agency acknowledged "the challenging situation facing many donor governments", but said it "deeply regrets the decision of our longstanding partner".
"The truth is that when funding stops, women and girls suffer, especially the poor, those living in remote, underserved communities and those living through humanitarian crises," it said.
The UK this year announced it would slash its overall foreign aid budget from 0.7 per cent to 0.5 per cent of its national income, a reduction of about £4 billion.
The programmes affected by the decision are now becoming apparent.
On Wednesday, it was reported the UK planned to slash funding for international clean water and sanitation projects by 80 per cent.
On Tuesday, Liz Sugg – a former Foreign Office minister who resigned in protest over the cuts – challenged the government to confirm which programmes would be cut.
She said the government planned to cut the overseas budget for girls' education by more than 40 per cent.
The former minister also claimed that Britain planned to close its Women’s Integrated Sexual Health programme and cut funding to the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition by up to 80 per cent.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he did not recognise the figures, but admitted no area was immune to cuts.
Responding to the UN statement on Thursday, Ms Sugg said Britain’s withdrawn financial support to the women’s health organisation was a “double hit on the world's poorest”.
"The cuts which we're seeing to the aid budget are huge," she told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme on Thursday.
“This is money the UK committed to in the UN chamber, signed an agreement and now we’re walking away from it – it’s pretty unheard of.”
She said the UK was traditionally a strong advocate for women and girls around the world.
"(The cut) means millions of women will not have access to contraception and sadly that will mean many unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions," she said.
Former UK prime minister Tony Blair called on the leaders of the wealthy G7 collective of wealthy nations to redirect aid budgets to help poorer nations purchase Covid-19 vaccines.
Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi emphasised the UK’s commitment to the World Health Organisation’s Covax initiative that helps inoculate the world’s poorest populations, with the UK donating £548m to the scheme.
“We are doing a hell of a lot to make sure we help the rest of the world,” he told Sky News.
The Foreign Office said the aid cuts were only temporary and put in place because of the "seismic effect” of Covid-19 on the UK economy.
"We are working through what this means for individual programmes. Decisions will be announced in due course,” it said.
"We will still spend more than £10bn this year to fight poverty, tackle climate change and improve global health."
Official data shows emergency pandemic support measures have sent Britain's annual borrowing rocketing to the highest level since the Second World War.
More on foreign aid
UK vows to reverse cut in international aid when economy recovers from pandemic
World’s poorest countries braced for funding cuts ahead of UK aid budget announcement
UK’s foreign aid cuts likely to hinder vaccination and climate change efforts
Your Guide to the Home
- Level 1 has a valet service if you choose not to park in the basement level. This level houses all the kitchenware, including covetable brand French Bull, along with a wide array of outdoor furnishings, lamps and lighting solutions, textiles like curtains, towels, cushions and bedding, and plenty of other home accessories.
- Level 2 features curated inspiration zones and solutions for bedrooms, living rooms and dining spaces. This is also where you’d go to customise your sofas and beds, and pick and choose from more than a dozen mattress options.
- Level 3 features The Home’s “man cave” set-up and a display of industrial and rustic furnishings. This level also has a mother’s room, a play area for children with staff to watch over the kids, furniture for nurseries and children’s rooms, and the store’s design studio.
The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Plan to boost public schools
A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.
It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.
Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.
Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.
TWISTERS
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Starring: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos
Rating: 2.5/5
Recipe
Garlicky shrimp in olive oil
Gambas Al Ajillo
Preparation time: 5 to 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
180ml extra virgin olive oil; 4 to 5 large cloves of garlic, minced or pureed (or 3 to 4 garlic scapes, roughly chopped); 1 or 2 small hot red chillies, dried (or ¼ teaspoon dried red chilli flakes); 400g raw prawns, deveined, heads removed and tails left intact; a generous splash of sweet chilli vinegar; sea salt flakes for seasoning; a small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Method
▶ Heat the oil in a terracotta dish or frying pan. Once the oil is sizzling hot, add the garlic and chilli, stirring continuously for about 10 seconds until golden and aromatic.
▶ Add a splash of sweet chilli vinegar and as it vigorously simmers, releasing perfumed aromas, add the prawns and cook, stirring a few times.
▶ Once the prawns turn pink, after 1 or 2 minutes of cooking, remove from the heat and season with sea salt flakes.
▶ Once the prawns are cool enough to eat, scatter with parsley and serve with small forks or toothpicks as the perfect sharing starter. Finish off with crusty bread to soak up all that flavour-infused olive oil.
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
At Eternity’s Gate
Director: Julian Schnabel
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Oscar Isaacs, Mads Mikkelsen
Three stars
Film: Raid
Dir: Rajkumar Gupta
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Ileana D'cruz and Saurabh Shukla
Verdict: Three stars
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
RESULT
Liverpool 4 Southampton 0
Jota (2', 32')
Thiago (37')
Van Dijk (52')
Man of the match: Diogo Jota (Liverpool)
List of alleged parties
- May 15 2020: Boris Johnson is said to have attended a Downing Street pizza party
- 27 Nov 2020: PM gives speech at leaving do for his staff
- Dec 10 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson
- Dec 13 2020: Mr Johnson and his then-fiancee Carrie Symonds throw a flat party
- Dec 14 2020: Shaun Bailey holds staff party at Conservative Party headquarters
- Dec 15 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
- Dec 18 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
