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Blog Post
February 09, 2024
It is most likely true that by 2030 most of the world’s extreme poor (by current standards) will live in fragile states, and this will be accompanied by most of the world’s children who die young, usually of preventable causes. But it won’t be most of the world’s poor, according to more expansive de...
Blog Post
November 16, 2023
Well done Andrew Mitchell. On Monday he will unveil the UK’s first White Paper on development for 14 years, and the first credible statement of policy and intent on the subject of any kind for more than a decade. (Yes, there have been previous documents claiming to be strategies, including Liz Truss...
Blog Post
November 22, 2021
One of my overwhelming preoccupations over the last 10 years as a chief executive of international aid organisations, first as permanent secretary of the UK’s Department for International Development and then as head of the UN’s humanitarian affairs, has been that there was never enough money, even ...
Blog Post
October 25, 2021
As Afghanistan enters its harsh winter season, a massive humanitarian disaster appears increasingly likely. Facing food shortages, rising prices, and a breakdown in public services, millions of ordinary Afghans need immediate assistance as their country veers toward economic collapse.
Blog Post
August 16, 2021
The recent $5 billion overnight cut in UK foreign aid highlights the importance of understanding the politics of aid spending. This blog explores the role of international travel by rich country citizens to poorer countries in determining attitudes towards aid, and the potential value of volunteer t...
Blog Post
September 12, 2019
The global education community has been calling on poor countries to increase their spending on education for years now, to little avail. Instead of repeatedly making the case for how important education is, or calling for poliltical will, a smarter approach could be to directly address the politica...