Global aid programmes are failing the world's poorest people

John Simpson, BBC world affairs editor and patron of the charity Health Unlimited, has told an audience that global aid programmes have prioritised populations that are more accessible, rather than the most needy people, in order to meet targets.

Speaking at the Royal College of Physicians last week, Mr Simpson referred to the “broken promises” of the world's richest governments. He spoke of the millennium development goals on poverty reduction and access to education, water, and health set at a special session of the United Nations in November 2000. In his view these promises had so far been met by an overwhelming lack of action.

Mr Simpson said that the work of charities such as Health Unlimited was being undermined by government agendas on aid that do not prioritise the most marginalised groups. He said that although overall poverty may be decreasing, the poorest groups are getting poorer, and he described government policies on aid as “shameful.”

In a passionate speech Mr Simpson spoke of the “short term memories” of both the public and governments on aid issues. Just back from Kabul, he cited Afghanistan as an example of a country where aid was given when it was politically advantageous to do so but was then forgotten about until recently. He emphasised that long term commitment to aid was what was needed.

Health Unlimited aims to help indigenous peoples and communities affected by conflict, most of whom live in small communities in remote areas. Praising the work of Health Unlimited, Mr Simpson described it as a charity that “governments can't boast about and doesn't go for headlines.” He described as “depressing” the reaction of governments to situations requiring aid, in which they were “driven by headlines and quick, short term results.”

The G8 summit in Canada, which was due to take place shortly after Mr Simpson gave his speech, was also a cause of concern for him. The original intention of the summit had been to focus on building a new development partnership for Africa, the only continent where poverty is on the rise, and which has the lowest life expectancy in the world. Mr Simpson worried that the summit had been “hijacked by the war on terror,” an area where he felt the emphasis did not belong.