United Nations – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon says reducing development assistance to finance the cost of refugee flows would be counter-productive.
Ban made this known, in his reaction to the Proposed Reductions in Development Aid by the international community in New York on Wednesday.
He said that the reduction would cause a vicious circle detrimental to health, education and opportunities for a better life at home for millions of vulnerable people in every corner of the world.
Ban, therefore, urged the international community to urgently address the immense challenge of forced displacement around the world.
The UN Chief said he recognised the financial demands faced by host communities and partner governments as they seek to support the international response.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]
The Secretary-General underscored the importance of fully funding both efforts to care for refugees and asylum seekers in host countries as well as longer-term development efforts.
Resources for one area, he said, should not come at the expense of another.
The UN Chief said that redirecting critical funding away from development aid at this pivotal time could perpetuate challenges that the global community had committed to address.
He encouraged all governments to enhance international development assistance.
Helping people in need, he added, should not be a “zero-sum game.”(NAN)
