Last week, the world’s biggest financial institutions - the World Bank and the IMF, came together in Washington, they were joined by Finance Ministers from the world’s twenty most powerful countries. 

This could have been a moment to tackle the growing global debt emergency that is preventing so many countries from confronting the climate crisis. But did they take it? No, they did not. 

I can’t pretend this doesn’t make me angry. All over world countries are reaching breaking point. Pakistan, hit by recent floods, is still spending $50 million a day in debt repayments. Chad, in central Africa has been waiting 18 months for debt relief.

Campaigners are demanding action. It is a massive failure of leadership that debts haven’t been cancelled. But there is some hope, all over the world thousands of us came together to protest the debt crisis. 

You are part of a growing global movement. In over thirty countries, campaigners joined as one last week to say enough is enough.  

Here in the UK, we protested outside the World Bank office in London, in the Philippines hundreds of activists marched through the capital and in Washington people took to the streets outside the World Bank and IMF annual meetings.  

As the debt crisis intensifies, our movement is only growing stronger. 

Although so much more needs to be done, the action we are taking together gives me hope. We’ve won debt cancellation before, and we can do it again.  

Thank you as ever for taking action,  

Zak, Eva, Heidi and the whole team at Debt Justice 

PS Our campaign hit the headlines last week, read this piece from Economics Editor Larry Elliot that spells out how we got here, and why ‘Time is running out.’