FY2013 budget request is mixed bag for world’s poor, say leading NGOs

Washington (February 13, 2012) — The Obama Administration’s FY2013 budget request is a mixed bag for the world’s poor, with continued investment in international assistance overall but targeted cuts in areas such as global health and humanitarian assistance, said leading NGO alliance InterAction.

“Foreign assistance already amounts to less than 1 percent of the federal budget. We understand that this is a difficult fiscal climate, but any further trimming of these core accounts is counter-productive and impedes our efforts to build more self-sufficient populations,” said Samuel A. Worthington, president and CEO of InterAction.

“We hope Congress will continue to support direct investments in innovative programs like new life-saving vaccines or teaching agriculture practices, which help people in less-developed countries feed themselves. These are key components of a strategy to make the delivery of aid more effective, transparent and accountable,” said Worthington.

Overall, the international affairs budget request increased by 2 percent ($1.3 billion) to $56.2 billion from FY2012 levels, but several accounts that target global poverty were trimmed back. This included funding for global health projects, which are down 4 percent ($314 million) to $7.85 billion, and funds for migration and refugee assistance cut back by 13 percent from $1.88 billion to $1.63 billion.

Other cuts include:

• International disaster assistance is down 2 percent from $975 million to $960 million.

World Vision’s response to the drought in the Horn of Africa began in February 2011. Since that time, more than 2 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Tanzania have benefited from World Vision’s humanitarian aid that has included food and water, health care and nutrition, shelter, support to education in emergencies, humanitarian protection and help for livestock. At the same time, World Vision has continued to implement its long-term development programs in all four countries, aimed at improving the resilience of local people by providing access to more drought resistant crops, better livestock care and clean, safe water.

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About World Vision:
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. We serve the world's poor — regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender. For more information on their efforts, visit WorldVision.org/press or follow them on Twitter at @WorldVisionNews