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World's Poorest Children Need More Support in U.S. Budget Proposal
Westport, CT (February 5, 2008) — Following release of the administration's proposed budget for the next fiscal year (2009), Save the Children today called on Congress to adopt a comprehensive and balanced approach to foreign assistance programs including additional support for programs that address the health, educational and humanitarian needs of the world's poorest children.
"We must prioritize initiatives to reduce poverty, strengthen global health initiatives, and provide humanitarian relief to better support children in need worldwide," said Charles MacCormack, President and CEO of Save the Children. "Investment in core programs that promote development, health, education, food, and relief must be bolstered, not cut or flat-lined, if America is going to help developing countries better respond to the needs of children and their families."
"We welcome the President's proposed overall increase in the international affairs budget in a tough economic environment, his commitment to fighting HIV/AIDS and malaria, and his decision to begin revitalizing the professional capacity of the U.S. Agency for International Development. The President's budget request, however, fails to keep pace with overall demands on American leadership. It underfunds key priorities and fails to tackle fully the growing challenges faced by vulnerable children around the world."
"We cannot turn our backs on these children. The stakes are too high for our security and America's standing in the world. Every day 27,000 children under 5 die from preventable causes, 72 million children wake up without a chance to go to school, 200 million go to bed without enough to eat, and millions struggle as refugees or internally displaced. A balanced, comprehensive approach requires greater United States leadership and investment on all these fronts. We urge Congress to fully fund these critical development and humanitarian accounts during the FY 2009 appropriations process."
President George W. Bush's budget request includes over $6 billion to combat global AIDS and malaria, reflecting strong commitment for these Presidential initiatives.
However, the budget blueprint calls for only $369.5 million for maternal health and child survival programs, a $77 million cut from last year's enacted level and well short of the investment required by the international community to save up to 10 million children under five who die of preventable causes.
Support for basic education programs, cut $70 million below last year's level, also falls short of global need. Finally, the budget continues to underfund accounts critical for meeting humanitarian needs in Sudan, Iraq, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad, Kenya and other emergencies.
"Investments by the American people in fighting HIV/AIDS and malaria will ultimately be less effective if stagnant or reduced funding for other health, education, and relief continues," said MacCormack. "Congress has the opportunity to adopt a budget that complements the President's proposed increases with greater support for core humanitarian and poverty-fighting accounts that will better assist vulnerable children and families. Through Congressional leadership and increased investment, we can save lives and build healthy, sustainable communities around the world. This is not only the right thing to do. It is also the smart thing as well."
