WaterAid response to the UK Government's White Paper

WaterAid welcomes the UK Government's new White Paper on International Development, in particular its commitment to target support to the poorest people to help them through the financial crisis.

At present only 24% of global aid for water and sanitation goes to the Least Developed Countries so this kind of shift in donor thinking is welcome and we hope it will be emulated. The paper rightly recognises that good public services such as access to water and sanitation are essential to poverty reduction, economic growth and peace and security. WaterAid also welcomes the UK government's renewed commitment to meet the Millennium Development Goals. The White Paper recognises a need to focus more on areas where progress has been slow – malnutrition, maternal and neo-natal health, child health.

"The current health crisis in the developing world points to the need to develop more integrated approaches to development that focus on the areas where the lag is greatest" said Henry Northover, Head of Policy at WaterAid.

Improving water, sanitation and hygiene could prevent 28% of under-five deaths and yet the sanitation MDG target is massively off-track, and has attracted little donor investment. "It's time for DFID to seek to fully understand the underlying causes of slow progress in health," he said.

Finally, whilst WaterAid encourages the government in its efforts to better demonstrate impact to the UK taxpayer, there is also a need to recognise that some of the most effective ways of delivering aid are not highly visible.

"If development efforts are to be successful, DFID needs to deliver aid in a way that strengthens the social contract between the government and citizens, and that empowers individuals living in poverty" said Laura Hucks, WaterAid's Policy officer, "Donors must avoid increasing the reporting burden placed on overstretched developing country governments and support them to account to poor people for the use of public money."

Read the White Paper on DFID's website

For media enquiries please contact Ann Noon, Media Relations Manager: 0207 793 4790, AnnNoon@wateraid.org.