Fund for AIDS and malaria victims in disarray as UK breaks pledge to donate

A global fund for AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria victims has been plunged into disarray after the Foreign Office broke a promise to make a crucial donation.

In September, ministers pledged to make an allocation “in the coming weeks” – after an initial failure to give any money – but has now missed a final deadline to stump up cash.

It means the fund, which has reported saving 50 million lives over the past 20 years, has been left “in the dark” about its available resources ahead of key decisions in two weeks’ time.

Aid organisations accused Rishi Sunak’s government of obstructing vital efforts to “deliver life-saving work” and of failing to “learn the lessons” from the Covid pandemic.

The failure to donate follows a watchdog’s warning that overseas aid spending is a mess since the Foreign Office was put in charge – and with steep cuts set to be extended.

James Cleverly, the foreign secretary, warned last week that a plan to return the budget to 0.7 per cent of national income in 2024 – after the reduction to 0.5 per cent – is likely to be dropped.

Meanwhile, former economists at the abolished Department for International Development, warned more aid cash is now being spent in the UK, rather than abroad.

Romilly Greenhill, UK director of The ONE Campaign against extreme poverty, said: “The UK’s failure to pledge to the Global Fund shows the government hasn’t learned the lessons of the pandemic.

“And with just six days to go until Cop27, we still don’t know whether Sunak will attend. This sends a message to the rest of the world that Britain’s leadership in dealing with the biggest crises of our age is dwindling.”

And Mike Podmore, director of STOPAIDS Director, said: “The UK is acting as an unreliable partner and preventing the Global Fund from communicating clearly to its grantees about what funding is now available.

“National and community-led programmes rely on concrete and timely funding allocations from the Global Fund to ensure they can properly plan and deliver their life-saving work.”

On 21 September – after the initial failure to donate – then-development minister Vicky Ford pledged: “We will be announcing our pledge in the coming weeks. We will work with the Global Fund to fight for what counts.”

The UK was embarrassed when Democratic Republic of Congo, one of the world’s poorest countries gave $6m at the United Nations conference – while London pledged nothing.

The Foreign Office has been asked why the UK has, again not made a donation, having handed over at least $1.4bn after the last pledging round in 2019.