UK Aid Increase Boosts Fight Against Poverty In Africa

04.02.07

New aid figures released today by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) show that British assistance to sub-Saharan Africa increased impressively in 2006.

“These numbers will be finalized at the end of the year, but there are clear signs that the UK has made strong progress towards meeting aid commitments to Africa in 2006 and is setting an important benchmark for other major EU and G8 economies.” said Oliver Buston, European Director of DATA.

“Aid works – it saves lives. We know that aid is putting millions of children in school and providing AIDS treatment to more than a million people in Africa. This increase in the UK aid figures is an important boost in the fight against poverty, but it is also a great achievement for the millions of people who joined the campaign to Make Poverty History and the billions who supported Live 8 ahead of the Gleneagles Summit in 2005.

“Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and Hilary Benn deserve credit for their leadership. The next step is to make sure that the UK maintains momentum, and uses the Comprehensive Spending Review to put the UK firmly on track towards meeting the aid target of 0.7% of national income by Financial Year 2012/13."

For more information please contact Katy Cronin, Media Manager DATA +44 207 434 7557

DATA (Debt AIDS Trade Africa) is an Africa advocacy group that promotes awareness and action to fight poverty and AIDS in Africa. DATA works with U2 singer Bono and Bob Geldof. Our website is www.data.org

DATA is a member of The World Can’t Wait coalition which includes Action Aid, Bond, CAFOD, Christian Aid, Concern, Data, Friends of the Earth, Jubilee Debt Campaign, Oxfam Save the Children, Stop AIDS Campaign, Tearfund, Trade Justice Movement, Trade Union Congress, UK Aid network, WaterAid and World Vision UK. http://www.yourvoiceagainstpoverty.org.uk/