Some non-governmental organizations have voiced concern that the recently outlined push of G-8 leaders to channel billions of dollars to Middle East and North African countries undergoing transitions would rob other developing countries of their share of the international aid budget.
>> G8 Eyes Up to $40B in Aid for MENA Countries
Democracy should not be achieved at the expense of survival, some aid campaigners and lobby groups have noted, Reuters says.
“We don’t want the Arab Spring to be followed by an African winter,” the news agency quotes Adrian Lovett of Save the Children.
A number of aid groups also criticized Friday (May 27) the G-8 for failing on its past promises and the lack of clear targets in its latest communique.
>> Aid Groups Slam G8 Rhetoric, Press Countries to Meet Aid Targets
Meantime, U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron defended his country’s track record and promised to fulfill the U.K.’s past and new commitments without channeling money away from the poorest countries.
“Britain will not balance its books on the backs of the poorest. Britain will keep its promises and I was tough in urging my counterparts to keep theirs,” he said, as quoted by Reuters.
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