The United Kingdom has become the second largest aid donor, with aid spending rising by USD1.64 billion in the past year to reach a record USD15.26 billion. The figures place Britian in second place, after the United States. “It’s clear that the U.K. is keeping its promises and that aid for development is increasing,” said British international development secretary Douglas Alexander. “”Every year our aid helps to lift around 3 million people permanently out of poverty and empowers poor countries to provide basic services such as health and education that we commonly take for granted.” In 2006, Britain released USD13.83 billion in Overseas Development Aid, the formal definition of which includes debt relief. According to Alexander, the U.K. in the last decade put millions of children in developing nations into primary schools and supported the health and water sectors in other impoverished states.
Source: Britain now the world’s second largest aid donor (The Guardian)
