The UK is doubling its support to help prevent conflicts from beginning in the first place, Minister for the Middle East Alistair Burt has announced.
The UK is doubling its support to the UN Peacebuilding Fund to help prevent conflicts from beginning in the first place, Minister for the Middle East Alistair Burt has announced.
DFID spends half of its aid in fragile states, such as Sudan and Iraq, and today's package is part of a long-term strategy to build global peace and prosperity by tackling the underlying causes of instability.
Minister for the Middle East Alistair Burt said:
Our world is, sadly, less peaceful than it was a decade ago. During this time the number of violent conflicts around the world has risen, as has the number of deaths from these conflicts, and the number of people forced to flee their homes.
This additional UK aid support will help save lives by addressing conflict and instability head on and building peace that lasts long after the guns have gone silent.
We should be very clear that our contribution to this fund is benefiting the UK as well. The fall-out from conflict in nations thousands of miles away eventually reaches our shores, whether in the form of refugees, terrorism, infectious diseases or organised crime.
By 2030 the cost of humanitarian assistance is likely to more than double to $50 billion.
Notes
- International Development Minister Lord Bates attended the inaugural Paris Peace Forum this week (12 November) where he endorsed the announcement.
- This week's package of £16 million is to the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund is from the Conflict, Humanitarian and Security Department (CHASE) budget in DFID. This is an increase of £16 million to the £16 million already allocated between now and 2020.
