Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Britain will slash funding or withdraw from a United Nations body tackling global hunger unless it improves its "patchy" performance, International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell will warn next week.
A wide-ranging review of the UK's overseas aid spending has concluded that cash being spent through the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is not getting the best results in poverty-hit nations and may be better used elsewhere.
With the Government under extreme pressure to justify increasing foreign help at a time of severe cuts to domestic services, Mr Mitchell will say the body will be bypassed unless it implements reforms.
Spiralling food prices across the world have been thrust further into the spotlight in recent weeks as one of the factors behind the popular uprisings across the Middle East.
The Department for International Development (DfID) said that the review - to be published on Tuesday - would result in four million more people being able to feed their families and help for an extra 10 million children in the developing world.
Projects to be prioritised include road-building in Mozambique to give better access to rural markets, creating 150,000 farming jobs for women in Sierra Leone and cash transfers to allow impoverished Zambians and Yemenis to buy food.
It will also go on "community nutrition services" in India - the most controversial country receiving aid.
Mr Mitchell has been forced to defend the UK's continued help to the country despite its own economy booming dramatically amid criticism from some Conservative MPs angry about the increased aid budget at the time of austerity measures at home.
The DfID said the review had highlighted the "strong" performance of the World Food Programme - which would now get regular funding alongside disaster cash to carry out prevention work, such as getting supplies in place ahead of monsoons.
It also recognised the "key role" that could be played by the FAO but found that its performance was "patchy, particularly at country level and that reforms need to be prioritised".
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments