Britain to stop aids to 16 countries, including Iraq

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The UK is to stop direct aid to 16 countries, including Russia, China and Iraq, papers seen by the BBC suggest. A draft copy of a government review of its £7.8bn overseas aid budget – to be published this week – also reveals assistance for India will be frozen. But, overall, the international development budget will rise by a third in this parliament, it says. International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell said spending would be a “good deal better focused”. The government’s draft report states that aid spending is good for Britain’s economy and safety. Resources will be concentrated on the 27 countries that account for three-quarters of the world’s maternal mortality and malaria deaths, such as Ghana and Afghanistan. SH (TP) 953