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Britain Boosts Development Aid for Africa, AIDS Fight
LONDON (AFP) - Britain unveiled a significant boost to its overseas aid to the delight of Third World campaigners.
Britain's development aid will rise to some 6.5 billion pounds (9.8 billion euros, 12.1 billion dollars) by 2007-08 -- an increase of 140 percent since 1997 in real terms, Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown told parliament.
To promote treatments and cures for HIV/AIDS across the whole developing world, Britain would allocate 1.5 billion pounds over the next three years, he said.
The aid boost come as British Prime Minister Tony Blair prepares to make the plight of Africa the focus of Britain's presidency of the Group of Eight industrial nations next year.
"Today, the humanitarian tragedy in Sudan is deeper than at the time of Live Aid -- which started in Sudan twenty years ago -- and we must act now," Brown told lawmakers.
He said a total of at least 150 million pounds was being set aside for the next three years to fund emergency and other relief to address Sudan's crisis -- to be made available immediately once a peace agreement is signed.
Campaigners welcomed the news.
Irish rock star and campaigner Bono, speaking on behalf of the organisation Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa, said: "This is incredible news from the Chancellor for people that he will never meet but who will owe him and British taxpayers their lives.
"These figures represent people dying of AIDS being put on treatment, their children being immunised against polio, their girls going to school who couldn't have gone before today."
Mike Aaronson, Director of Save the Children, said: "This is a significant and welcome announcement.
"The increased aid in the next three years will deliver real help to the world's poorest people."
LONDON (AFP) - Britain unveiled a significant boost to its overseas aid to the delight of Third World campaigners.
Britain's development aid will rise to some 6.5 billion pounds (9.8 billion euros, 12.1 billion dollars) by 2007-08 -- an increase of 140 percent since 1997 in real terms, Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown told parliament.
To promote treatments and cures for HIV/AIDS across the whole developing world, Britain would allocate 1.5 billion pounds over the next three years, he said.
The aid boost come as British Prime Minister Tony Blair prepares to make the plight of Africa the focus of Britain's presidency of the Group of Eight industrial nations next year.
"Today, the humanitarian tragedy in Sudan is deeper than at the time of Live Aid -- which started in Sudan twenty years ago -- and we must act now," Brown told lawmakers.
He said a total of at least 150 million pounds was being set aside for the next three years to fund emergency and other relief to address Sudan's crisis -- to be made available immediately once a peace agreement is signed.
Campaigners welcomed the news.
Irish rock star and campaigner Bono, speaking on behalf of the organisation Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa, said: "This is incredible news from the Chancellor for people that he will never meet but who will owe him and British taxpayers their lives.
"These figures represent people dying of AIDS being put on treatment, their children being immunised against polio, their girls going to school who couldn't have gone before today."
Mike Aaronson, Director of Save the Children, said: "This is a significant and welcome announcement.
"The increased aid in the next three years will deliver real help to the world's poorest people."
Anything is so much better than nothing.
