G-8 Must Not Backtrack on Aid for Poor Countries, Charities Say

Group of Eight leaders must stick to their commitment to boost funding to developing countries by 2010 or risk escalating poverty as global food prices surge, aid groups said.

The pledge made at a G-8 summit in 2005 would increase overall aid to $130 billion from $80 billion and double assistance for Africa to $50 billion.

A draft communiqué for this year's summit failed to reiterate the $25 billion increase for Africa pledged in 2005, the Financial Times reports.

"I'm a little concerned that G-8 countries may backtrack on aid”, European Commission President Jose Barroso, who participates in the summit, told reporters. "We must ensure that there is no going back on our commitments.''

[Excerpt of article by Steve Scherer and Mark Deen, Bloomberg.com]