Foreign Aid

Zelenskyy calls for aid of 50 mn LED lightbulbs to cope with energy crisis

In the wake of Russian attacks on Ukraine's fragile energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for 50 million LED lightbulbs which would save around one gigawatt of power

US to give $40 mn agricultural aid to Sri Lanka for next cultivation season

The United States on Saturday announced USD 40 million in aid to buy fertilizer and other key agricultural inputs in time for the next cultivation season in crisis-hit Sri Lanka. USAID Administrator Samantha Power, who is visiting Sri Lanka, made the announcement after she met farmer representatives in Ja-Ela outside the capital, Colombo. She said the money will be in addition to the $6 million announced earlier to assist low income farmers. Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis and acute shortages of essentials like food, fuel and medicines because of a lack of foreign currency to pay for the imports. Agricultural yields dropped by more than half for the past two cultivation seasons because authorities had banned the imports of chemical fertilizers ostensibly to promote organic farming. The farmers that I just met with described enormous challenges that the economic crisis has placed on them and their families and the whole community. They described phenomena that were ...

US Congress mulls American aid to India on improvement in human rights

Members of the US Congress could consider whether or not to condition future American aid to India on "improvements" in human rights and civil liberties in the country, an independent and bipartisan congressional research body has said. The Biden Administration has requested USD 117 million in foreign assistance to India for FY 2023. Congress could consider whether or not to condition some or all of such aid on improvements in human rights and civil liberties in India, Congressional Research Service said in its In Focus report titled India: Human Rights Assessment. The USD 117 million aid to India through USAID is a proposal by the Biden Administration. Notably, India has not asked for any such American assistance. Also, this amount is insignificant considering the India-US trade and business ties. During COVID-19 pandemic, the US corporate sector alone donated equipment and aid worth USD 500 million in a matter of weeks. India has repeatedly rejected criticism by foreign government

Over $20bn of international aid allocated for Ukraine: Central bank chief

More than $20 billion of international aid has been allocated for Ukraine amid its conflict with Russia, said Kyrylo Shevchenko, Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine.

UN agencies appeal for $4.4 bn to assist 29.1 mn in Africa in 2022

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) on Wednesday said between 12 and 14 million people are waking each day to face high levels of acute food insecurity

UK to expand development finance investment in Asia, Africa, Caribbean

Foreign Office says the move was part of a strategy to deepen economic, security and development ties globally.

Palestine faces financial crisis amid decline in foreign aid, tax dispute

Palestine is facing a financial crisis amid a decline in foreign aid and a growing tax dispute with Israel, according to an informed source

UK lawmakers seek to reverse government's contentious foreign aid cut

United Nations agencies and other international organisations say the reduction will hurt programs that help some of the world's poorest people.

India receives 17,755 oxygen concentrators in foreign aid: Health ministry

Of these 15,567 oxygen concentrators, about 12,530 units have been delivered to states, and another 3,037 have been dispatched

Australia suspends defence cooperation with Myanmar over military coup

Australia has suspended its defence cooperation with Myanmar and is redirecting humanitarian aid because of the military takeover of the government and ongoing detention of an Australian citizen. Foreign Minister Marise Payne said on Monday that Australian diplomats only had access to economic policy adviser Sean Turnell twice since he was detained in early February. She described the access as very limited consular support. We continue to absolutely call for the release of Professor Sean Turnell, Payne told Australian Broadcasting Corp. Australia announced late Sunday it had suspended a defense training program with Myanmar worth about 1.5 million Australian dollars ($1.2 million) over five years. The program had been restricted to non-combat areas such as English-language training. Australian humanitarian aid will be directed away from Myanmar government and government-related entities. Instead it will focus on the immediate humanitarian needs of the most vulnerable and poor in

Rethinking foreign aid to India

Temporary migration programmes, an alternate form of foreign aid, have proven remarkably effective at poverty reduction, and cost the taxpayer of the donor country nothing