BREAKING NEWS

UN warns against cuts in development aid due to refugee crisis

UNITED NATIONS - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday warned against proposed reductions in development aid by wealthy countries struggling to cope with Europe's refugee and migration crisis, saying such cuts would be counter-productive.
"With the world facing the largest crisis of forced displacement since the Second World War, (Ban) calls on the international community to meet this immense challenge without lessening its commitment to vitally needed official development assistance," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters.
 
He added that Ban "underscores 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 should not come at the expense of another," he said. "Redirecting critical funding away from development aid at this pivotal time could perpetuate challenges that the global community has committed to address."