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UK government been warned that halting ‘non-essential’ aid will cost lives

The UK government has been criticized after cutting all but “essential” overseas aid in the wake of reducing its international development budget to 0.5 percent of gross domestic product, the Arabnews reported.
It said that politicians and charities have warned that lives will be lost as a result of the cuts, with countries such as war-torn Yemen likely to take the brunt of the loss of funds.
The war in Ukraine is taking up a significant portion of the budget, as is the UK’s system for taking in Afghan refugees following the collapse of the government in Kabul in August 2021, according to the Saudi news outlet.
The initial aid budget cut, from 0.7 percent of GDP, was implemented in the wake of the financial burden placed on the UK economy by the COVID-19 pandemic and resultant lockdowns and social restrictions.
Government departments, meanwhile, have been told that “non-essential aid spending” is to be halted until the UK has a new prime minister following the resignation of incumbent Boris Johnson, as the 0.5 percent spend cap is close to being reached.

Sam Nadel, head of government relations at the charity Oxfam, said that aid for Ukrainians “cannot come at the expense of responding to other emergencies around the world such as in East Africa and Yemen.”
Simon Starling, director of policy at the Bond network of UK aid organizations, told The Independent newspaper: “If the government sticks to the diminished 0.5 percent budget while new crises like the Ukraine war emerge, more and more people will be denied the critical humanitarian and development support the UK promised to provide.”
Johnson tells Zelensky that British support for Ukraine will ‘not waver’
Labour Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy, meanwhile, said that the conflict in eastern Europe was already placing excess strain on many places that had lost out on UK aid.
“At a time of chronic global food shortages, drought, rising prices and conflict in so many parts of the world, it’s extraordinary that UK developmental aid appears to have been suspended.
“Lives literally appear to be dependent on the Conservative Party leadership elections.”
Liz Truss: I do not support direct involvement of our troops in Ukraine
Former International Development secretary Andrew Mitchell said: “To withhold spending on life-saving projects in this way will undoubtedly cost lives and further impair the UK’s reputation.”
The government said that it was “prioritizing overseas aid funding, such as providing humanitarian support to the people of Ukraine.”
A spokesman for Johnson told The Independent: “People would expect us to take heed of the amount of money we have available to spend without adding additional debt.”
Source: arabnews
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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