Since the attempted military coup on 1 February 2021, the British government has cut aid to Burma by 70%. This is during a time of unprecedented humanitarian crisis, with over 2 million people displaced. The aid cuts to Rohingya refugees have been even starker, with over 80% cut since 2020.
Cuts in aid to Burma and Rohingya refugees are part of overall government cuts to aid, from 0.7% of national income to 0.5% since 2020.
The best part is – Jeremy Hunt already supports 0.7% of the national income being spent on aid. When Rishi Sunak, then Chancellor, announced the cut to 0.5% in 2020, Jeremy Hunt opposed the move in Parliament, saying: “To cut our aid budget by a third in a year when millions more will fall into extreme poverty will make not just them poorer but us poorer in the eyes of the world.”
When allowed a vote on the cuts in June 2021, Jeremy Hunt was one of 24 Conservative parliamentarians that opposed the cut.
Would you please write to him today to remind him of his own words, and ask him to increase British foreign aid to its previous levels?
