Scottish Catholic Entity Petitions UK Government to Fund Food Aid in East Africa

In their petition, SCIAF officials also ask the UK government to reverse its humanitarian aid package to foreign nations.

In 2020, the then UK Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, now Prime Minister, announced he was cutting the overseas aid budget by a third thus ending the European country’s commitment to spend 0.7% of gross national income on aid.

“The decision to cut overseas aid must be reversed,” SCIAF officials say in their petition, adding that the aid has been beneficial to millions of people in previous years. 

They continue, “In 2017, many thousands of lives were saved when the UK invested millions of pounds to avert a famine. This time round, the devastating cuts mean the UK has given itself less room to help and lives are being lost.”

Officials of the Catholic entity urge the UK government to promote sustainable forms of agriculture across the world.

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“The global food system has been designed to feed the greedy, not the needy. Smallholder farmers don’t get the support they need to grow food for their families and communities. While profits skyrocket and food waste is on the rise for the few, many families are left with little to nothing,” SCIAF officials say.

Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.