Libya: Britain spends millions on aid while Arab states give little

By James Kirkup, Political Correspondent
18 Apr 2011

Britain is donating millions of pounds in aid to Libya while wealthy Arab states and other European nations including France give much less, United Nations figures have revealed.

The figures – published as Britain announced more emergency help for the Libyan city of Misurata – sparked calls for other nations to shoulder more of the burden in Libya.

Andrew Mitchell, the development secretary, yesterday announced that Britain is spending almost £3 million to fund the evacuation of 5,000 civilians from Misurata, and emergency medical aid for people trapped in other towns in western Libya.

"I am determined that Britain continues to provide help to those innocent civilians who are caught up in the ongoing violence,” Mr Mitchell said.

In addition to yesterday’s spending, the UK is a major donor to the UN’s emergency fund for Libya, which was launched last month.

According to the UN’s Financial Tracking Service, the UK is the third-biggest donor to the fund, giving $14.7 million (£9.1 million) or 11.4 per cent of the $128 million raised so far.

By contrast, France, the other leading power in the military intervention, has donated $687,000, only 0.5 per cent of the total. Italy, the former colonial power, pledged $984,000.

And the only Arab nation in the top 25 contributors is Kuwait, which has donated $1 million, 0.8 per cent of the total.

The UN figures show that “Others” – which could include other coalition members including Qatar and the United Arab Emirates – have collectively pledged only $944,000.

The biggest donor is the US, which has pledged $32.1 million. Second was the European Commission, pledging $17 million. Britain contributes around 12 per cent of the European Union budget.

Conservative MPs said that that Arab nations should be contributing more to aid work in Libya.

Peter Bone MP said: “British voters would expect the Arab nations and the non-combatant European nations to be piling in with money. The Arab nations in particular should have no problem with making more financial contributions.”

James Clappison MP said: “We want to see the burden of Libya shared more evenly across the international community, and particularly by countries in the region. I believe the British public support helping people in need, but they do not want to see this country shouldering a disproportionately large share of the financial burden.”

In Libya, a senior UN envoy accused Col Muammar Gaddafi of refusing calls for a ceasefire to allow aid into Misurata.

Baroness Amos, the UN’s head of humanitarian relief, said she had personally asked ministers in Tripoli to end fighting so supplies could enter and trapped civilians could leave.

Misurata has been cut off and shelled for two months. Rebel leaders told the Daily Telegraph aid ships were refusing to enter while the port was being targeted by Col Gaddafi’s artillery.

Speaking in rebel-held Benghazi, Baroness Amos said: “We got no guarantees with respect to my call for an overall cessation of hostilities to allow people to move and allow people to deliver supplies.”

Source: The Telegraph.
Link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8459234/Libya-Britain-spends-millions-on-aid-while-Arab-states-give-little.html.