Oxfam GB head warns of global rise in extreme poverty
One in 23 people are expected to need humanitarian assistance in 2023, says Danny Sriskandarajah.
The chief executive of the charity Oxfam GB has told 麻豆社 News a combination of factors is leading to a rise in extreme poverty.
鈥淐limate breakdown making countries that are already vulnerable, more vulnerable, rising inequality around the world, basic food, fuel, fertiliser prices rising starkly around the world鈥� meant that millions of people were being pushed into poverty and hunger, Danny Sriskandarajah told the Hardtalk programme's Stephen Sackur.
East Africa was facing the 鈥渨orst drought in 40 years,鈥� he said. There is "famine looming in the region.鈥�
Dr Sriskandarajah warned that cuts to the aid budgets, such as in the UK, meant that at a time of 鈥渞ising humanitarian need,鈥� there was 鈥渃hronic underfunding of resources needed in the humanitarian system鈥�.
Two years ago, the UK government announced it would reduce spending on aid from 0.7% of national income to 0.5%.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has previously said that the UK remains one of the largest global aid donors, spending more than 拢11bn in aid in 2021.
