TOM ARNOLD,
Sir, - Your Editorial of July 1st rightly criticises the decision of the Irish Government to cut its aid budget and the lack of decisions at the G8 summit to do anything meaningful to assist Africa.
The decision to cut Ireland's overseas aid budget by €32 million runs contrary to repeated promises and commitments given by this Government, both before and during the recent election. That some of the poorest people on earth should have to pay the price for our current budgetary difficulties is not only disappointing, but morally indefensible.
It has been argued by those defending the cut that the sum of €32 million is not particularly significant in the context of Ireland's overall aid budget. I beg to disagree.
At the moment, some 20 million people in countries across the southern African region face severe food shortages. Unless action is taken, the region will soon experience a famine unlike anything that has been witnessed before. €32 million could save many lives.
The decision to cut the aid budget was wrong, but the Government can still redeem itself by engaging seriously and taking a leadership role, particularly within the EU, on the impending catastrophe in southern Africa.
Over the coming months, some 4 million tonnes of food will need to be imported into the region. Over the coming years, major efforts need to be made to address the causes of poverty and hunger, including the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
On its own, Ireland can make a significant, but limited, contribution to solving these problems. Working with our EU partners, we can do much more.
As yet, the EU has not responded with an adequate sense of urgency to this crisis. The Irish Government, especially through Ministers Cowen and Kitt, needs to provide the leadership to generate that urgency.
If that happens, it will go some way to undoing the damage of the €32 million cut. - Yours, etc.,
TOM ARNOLD,
Chief Executive,
Concern Worldwide,
Camden Street,
Dublin 2.