Liz Truss’s new government has become the only major world power not to increase spending in a UN pledging event for the Global Fund, a hugely successful 20-year-old initiative that is shocking global health campaigners. The long-planned pledge conference fell $3.76bn (£3.32bn) short of its $18bn target. The UK said it would commit later, but aid groups stressed that Truss had found time to lift the cap on bankers’ bonuses and commit at least £2.3 billion in military aid to Ukraine in 2023. David Lammy, the UK’s shadow foreign secretary, said cynicism was creeping into the views of some African leaders about the UK’s approach to aid. Speaking at the UN in New York, Lammy said the global South’s stance on the war in Ukraine and its economic fallout was partly colored by how the West dealt with issues of hunger, climate and debt. “I am concerned about signs of a growing concern in the global south about a deep fear of protracted war and its effects on their populations. A prime minister said to me: “Look, you have to understand that we are a democracy. But we are a fragile democracy, and when food prices go as high as they do, and our populations get angry, it undermines democracy itself.” There’s a lot of concern and fear really about 2023 and what that means for their populations.” He added: “As Western leaders, we need to hear this. I think I’m afraid what I’ve got from countries is a real concern about UK policy towards the global south. There is cynicism from some member states and real questioning about all the inconsistencies in our approach.” It was not just the cut in the aid budget from 0.7% to 0.5% of GDP under Boris Johnson’s government, Lammy said, but the shift to bilateral, as opposed to multilateral, aid and the possibility that aid budget to be used for payment. a £3 billion bill for Ukrainian refugees in the UK; “What does withdrawing from your multilateral commitments mean? It means lives lost as a consequence. Where is the highest tuberculosis in the world? India, Where is the highest rate of HIV in the world? Africa. Who is the world’s worst global killer? Malaria. It undermines what we say about the importance of Commonwealth nations. “It undermines the alliance that is so important to build in relation to Ukraine and plays into the narrative that if you are looking for support and funding then look to China, not countries like the UK. So they point out that kind of inconsistency. And I think that’s very worrying.” The US has already committed to contributing $6 billion to the Global Fund over the next three years, a 30% increase over its last replenishment. Several other long-term public donors also increased their pledges by 30%, including Canada, Germany and the European Commission. Meanwhile, private sector donors have committed more funding, led by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which committed a record $912 million, and (Red), which is raising corporate funds to help eradicate HIV/Aids, with a commitment of $150 million. Lammy said: “I have said in the past that Britain’s foreign policy has become too transactional, but this is not even transactional. This is just wrong. I have not come across any country in the world that thought that cuts in British aid were a good idea for them or, more importantly, for Britain. It’s upsetting for allies like America, but also France, Japan, who are all stepping up.”
