Oxfam reaction to the appointment of new International Development Minister

“Oxfam welcomes the appointment of Baroness Jenny Chapman to the role of International Development Minister. This is a crucially important portfolio. Emergency UK aid responses in countries including Gaza and South Sudan will continue to require rapid and transparent decision making. The fact that the minister sits in the Lords does though mean that she is unable to appear before the House of Commons, raising potential questions about effective communications and accountability amid the broader crisis around UKaid.

“The cuts to the UK aid budget will have a huge impact on vulnerable communities around the world and must be stopped. Oxfam also continues to advocate for alternative ways to generate the necessary finances, in particular through fairer taxes on the very wealthiest in society. This would help sustain the UK aid budget and the country’s well-earned global reputation for supporting acute and longer-term responses to crises including conflict, poverty, climate change and infectious disease.”

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