WaterAid responds to India aid debate

9 February

The banks of this bridge are a dumping ground for waste and a site for make-shift toilets, Kamla Nehru Nagar, India.

Credit: WaterAid / Jon Spaull

In recent weeks, there has been much debate over whether the UK should continue to give aid to India, given that the country is currently experiencing strong economic growth.
 
Margaret Batty, WaterAid's Director of Policy and Campaigns, has provided our response to the debate.

"WaterAid believes that first and foremost aid should be targeted at the world's poorest people. There are more poor people in India alone than every country in Sub-Saharan Africa combined. 

"While it is right to highlight India's growing economic clout, we mustn't lose sight of the tragedy that nearly quarter of a million children in India under the age of five die every year from diarrhoea brought about due to poor sanitation.

"Currently, more than two in three people lack access to adequate sanitation in India. Despite the country's growth, the shortfall in water and sanitation services cost the Indian economy over 6% of gross domestic product (GDP), the equivalent of US$53.8 billion in 2006 according to the World Bank. 

"By working with India to tackle this crisis we can help to transform the lives of the country's poorest people, and help bring about further growth that is good for both India and the UK."