Oxfam: Poor Are Paying the Price of Rich Countries’ Failure

A new report from international agency Oxfam today reveals that 45 million more children will die needlessly by 2015, because rich countries are failing to provide the necessary resources they promised to overcome poverty.The report, Paying the Price, finds that rich countries’ aid budgets are half what they were in 1960 and poor countries are paying back a staggering $100 million a day in debt repayments. Oxfam also calculates that 97 million more children will be out of school by 2015 unless urgent action is taken.

Jeremy Hobbs, Oxfam’s Executive Director, said:
“The world has never been wealthier, yet rich nations are giving less and less. Across the globe, millions of people are being denied the most basic human needs – clean water, food, health care and education. People are dying while leaders delay debt relief and aid.”

Oxfam is calling on the leaders of G8 countries – Germany, France, Italy, Japan, UK, US and Canada – to make history in 2005 by cancelling poor countries’ debt and increasing aid, alongside action to make trade fair.

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