Aid agencies have urged the Australian government to increase its foreign aid contributions amid fears that a famine could kill thousands in North Africa and the Middle East. Reports revealed on Friday that the federal government had cut more than 1 billion Australian dollars (770 million U.S. dollars) from the foreign aid budget since 2015, prompting aid agencies to appeal to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to help. Australia’s aid budget is at its lowest level in eight years, at just 0.2 percent of gross national income (GNI). “When you hear 20 million people at the risk of starvation, it’s a statistic,” Costello told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Friday. “We have indicated our view to (Australia’s) Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the (Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, (but) you would have to ask them about their own prioritization.”According to the ABC, Bishop said any decision regarding Australia’s foreign aid contributions would be made via normal budget processes.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 03, 2017 05:21 UTC