Imogen Folks

to live again without fear, children to go to school, farmers in particular to plant their crops, trying to remind donors that this kind of humanitarian project is a really good investment. UN refugees much more tight-lipped, but again pointing to Britain's traditional generosity and hoping that some of this will continue.

to live again without fear, children to go to school, farmers in particular to plant their crops, trying to remind donors that this kind of humanitarian project is a really good investment. UN refugees much more tight-lipped, but again pointing to Britain's traditional generosity and hoping that some of this will continue.

I mean, it's an incredibly long list. We have, for example, HIV prevention. Some of those programs, again, because of the U.S. cuts, have already been stopped. And one of the really worrying things for the aid agencies, if we just think about the context of the British cuts, is this freeze by the U.S.,

I mean, it's an incredibly long list. We have, for example, HIV prevention. Some of those programs, again, because of the U.S. cuts, have already been stopped. And one of the really worrying things for the aid agencies, if we just think about the context of the British cuts, is this freeze by the U.S.,

Things, for example, like maternal health clinics in Afghanistan, mine clearance in Colombia, all sorts of different things which are going to stop.

Things, for example, like maternal health clinics in Afghanistan, mine clearance in Colombia, all sorts of different things which are going to stop.

And these are, you know, they're not always the programmes which make the news headlines, but they are ones, aid agencies would say, which make a huge difference to people's lives and which also contribute to the security and stability, which, frankly, I think we're all longing for at the moment.

And these are, you know, they're not always the programmes which make the news headlines, but they are ones, aid agencies would say, which make a huge difference to people's lives and which also contribute to the security and stability, which, frankly, I think we're all longing for at the moment.

with great, great difficulty. And I think we could perhaps put this in a bit of context that these moves to cut aid have been coming really for quite a while in terms of the attitude of the traditional donors to humanitarian aid. We had the financial crisis way back in 2008 and many countries had austerity, wealthy countries.

with great, great difficulty. And I think we could perhaps put this in a bit of context that these moves to cut aid have been coming really for quite a while in terms of the attitude of the traditional donors to humanitarian aid. We had the financial crisis way back in 2008 and many countries had austerity, wealthy countries.

And voters have just been saying for a long time, why are we spending money overseas when we should be spending it on us? What about my school? What about my hospital? Then we had Covid, which again exhausted the budgets of many, many governments. And we have a weariness. There always seems to be a new war and a new crisis. That's the mindset of voters.

And voters have just been saying for a long time, why are we spending money overseas when we should be spending it on us? What about my school? What about my hospital? Then we had Covid, which again exhausted the budgets of many, many governments. And we have a weariness. There always seems to be a new war and a new crisis. That's the mindset of voters.

And of course, that's influencing governments.

And of course, that's influencing governments.

but aid agencies would say all of this is also an utter failure of international diplomacy not to solve conflicts or prevent them that's why we have new ones not for example to even agree modest trade rules which might support low-income countries and emerging economies not to tackle climate change which contributes we know to displacement and to hunger

but aid agencies would say all of this is also an utter failure of international diplomacy not to solve conflicts or prevent them that's why we have new ones not for example to even agree modest trade rules which might support low-income countries and emerging economies not to tackle climate change which contributes we know to displacement and to hunger

And that cutting aid funding now, when there's a record number of people in need in the world, will make all those challenges even worse. And although we want to look after ourselves, we can't build walls and moats around our countries anymore. That's not the way the world works. But I'm not sure that those appeals will have any influence whatsoever.

And that cutting aid funding now, when there's a record number of people in need in the world, will make all those challenges even worse. And although we want to look after ourselves, we can't build walls and moats around our countries anymore. That's not the way the world works. But I'm not sure that those appeals will have any influence whatsoever.

There's been a slight misuse of the substance.

There's been a slight misuse of the substance.