‘How can you halve the development cooperation budget when drought and climate change are making food shortages increase?’ This was the response of Bert Koenders, Minister for Development Cooperation, to the news that the World Food Programme needs another 5 billion dollars to save the lives of millions of people in the Horn of Africa.

Mr Koenders called the attitude of the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and the Freedom Party (PVV), which want to make drastic cuts in the development assistance budget, ‘uncaring and short-sighted. Saving money by trampling on those who are most in need will only swell the numbers of refugees and increase the likelihood of terrorist activity,’ he added. According to the UN, 24 million people in the Horn of Africa and Kenya are entirely dependent on food aid to survive. ‘Figures like these make it clear just how important it is to release funds for dealing with the effects of climate change,’ the minister said.

Mr Koenders has decided to allocate an extra €2 million to emergency aid for Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya. He is unable to commit any more as he has to make cuts of €550 million in this year’s development budget because it is tied to Gross National Product, which has fallen.