About: aid
EU aid increases, bucking global trend
Development aid spending by EU members saw a slight increase to $87 billion in 2018 (€77 billion) a slight increase on 2017, according to new data published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Afghan poverty rises sharply since NATO combat troops’ departure
Poverty has risen sharply in Afghanistan since the departure of NATO's combat troops in 2014, with more than half of the population now living below the poverty line, according to a national survey.
Migration think-tank: Europe is ‘obsessed’ with short-term solution
Migration will dominate the fifth Summit between Africa and the European Union, which will be held in Abidjan on 29 and 30 November. But Europeans keep dictating the agenda, due to lack of political unity in the African Union.
Slight rise in France’s contribution to development aid
After years of financial scarcity, France increased its development aid budget for the second consecutive year. However, uncertainties persist over its aid trajectory over the next five years. EURACTIV France reports.
Development expert: ‘Haiti would be better off without international aid’
Haiti is one of many poor countries where international aid has failed to fulfil its objectives. Despite billions of dollars being pumped in, little has changed since the disastrous earthquake of 2010, Joel Boutroue told EURACTIV France.
UK overseas aid budget fraud levels do not seem credible, watchdog says
The UK government’s claims of low levels of fraud in Britain’s overseas aid budget do not seem credible given mounting evidence of missing money, the House of Commons financial watchdog has said.
EU aid to Honduras plagued by ‘lack of expertise’ and shortcomings, auditors find
EU aid to Honduras, one of the poorest countries on the planet, was plagued by a lack of management expertise, focus and overlapping support, a damning report from the Court of Auditors found today (12 January).
Mogherini and Mimica welcome new government in Gambia
EU Commissioner for Development Neven Mimica and foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini have welcomed the change of government in Gambia, after elections last week saw the end of the 22-year rule of Yahya Jammeh.
Plan to align UK aid with trade policy could sideline poor countries
UK aid will be more closely allied with trade policy after the British government signalled a new approach to development assistance that may risk sidelining poorer countries.
UK watchdog calls for clearer picture of how aid investments benefit the poor
The private sector arm of the UK’s aid programme is failing to demonstrate adequately how its investments improve the lives of the world’s poorest, according to the state spending watchdog, even as the government plans to ramp up the funds it channels through the body.
No EU observers at Gambia’s election
The former British colony of Gambia goes to the polls on Thursday (1 December) for an election which could see the defeat of incumbent Yahya Jammeh, who has ruled the tiny West African country for 22 years.
In it for the long run: Education as an immediate emergency priority
Refugees spend an average of 20 years away from their homes, in the “limbo” of temporary shelters with only basic provisions. Education is vital to building a sense of normality and ensuring these years are not wasted, writes Nicholas Rutherford.
Judge orders closure of low-cost Bridge International schools in Uganda
Uganda's High Court has ordered the closure of a chain of low-cost private schools backed by Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, respectively the founders of Microsoft and Facebook.
NGOs censure EU countries for spending foreign aid on asylum costs
European NGOs have rounded on EU governments over the growing use of foreign aid budgets to meet refugee costs at home, claiming that the strategy artificially inflates official figures for development assistance despite money never reaching the poor countries for which it was intended.
EU aid principles will be a ‘thing of the past’ under new African migrant deal
Extending the Turkish "cash for migrants" scheme to five African countries will mark a turning point for European aid policy, which has previously been dependent on the principles of democracy and human rights. EURACTIV France reports.
MEPs question member states’ commitment to development
The revision of the European Consensus on Development has once again thrown the spotlight on the failure of EU countries to allocate 0.7% of their gross national income (GNI) to international solidarity. EURACTIV France reports.
IMF prods Mozambique to allow audit of secret loan companies
IMF chief Christine Lagarde on Thursday (15 September) pressed Mozambique's President Filipe Nyusi to allow an independent international audit of companies involved in a loan scandal that forced an IMF and World Bank aid cutoff.
Lawmakers slam diversion of EU aid to ‘Trust Fund for Africa’
A little under a year since its launch, the EU’s Trust Fund for Africa is largely financed with EU development money and has failed to convince MEPs. EURACTIV France reports.
Development aid and security spending in Africa’s Sahel region are ‘inextricably linked’
Strict aid accounting rules mean the international community is reluctant to finance security operations in Africa's troubled Sahel region, leaving France all but alone in tackling this sensitive issue. EURACTIV France reports.
World Bank: Libya and Jordan ‘have got into serious debt’ to host refugees
Four million people have fled the violence in Syria seeking refuge in neighbouring countries. Refugees now make up 20% of the population in Jordan and 30% in Lebanon, as national debts have climbed to unsustainable levels.
World humanitarian summit starts amid hope, hype and fear of empty words
Hundreds of world leaders and politicians will descend on Istanbul on Monday in a nominal attempt to reform the global humanitarian system, despite criticism that their summit is a photo-opportunity that will achieve little.
EU among donor groups suspending aid to Mozambique over hidden debt
Donor nations and institutions including the EU that contribute to Mozambique's state budget have suspended their support over revelations of $1.4 billion in hidden debt, officials said Wednesday (4 May).
French aid transparency among the worst in the world
In 2014, France launched a drive for greater transparency in its official development assistance. But two years on, results have proved elusive, and France is still among Europe’s worst performers. EURACTIV France reports.