Background War Child is a registered charity established in 1993 which helps children in areas experiencing and recovering from conflict with the aim to reach children as early as possible when conflict breaks out and to stay to support them through their recovery. The organisation works in , (CAR), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Yemen and provides education, protection and support with food security and livelihoods to children, their families and communities. War Child also campaigns for changes to policies and practices to support children in conflict.

War Childs programmes in conflict affected countries have been severely affected by the cuts to aid spending announced by the UK government. War Child was one of 20 grantees under round four of Aid Match (with funding appeals that finished in March 2021) due to commence later in the year and also was the recipient of Aid Connect funding for a project tackling the worst forms of child labour in CAR and the DRC. Both these projects have been significantly impacted by the government’s decision to postpone the release of Aid Match funding and the cuts toe Aid Connect funding).

In a joint statement endorsed by 200 organisations, charities stated that the aid cuts would deliver a tragic blow for many of the world’s most marginalised people1 and have urged the government to reverse its decision. The huge cuts to Yemen - considered the world's biggest humanitarian crisis – without an assessment of the impacts is illustrative of a government that has not fully considered the impacts these cuts will have on some of the world’s most vulnerable populations.2 This submission will specifically be focusing on the impact of the changes upon communities in the countries where we operate and the impact upon on those implementing the work.

Impact of the changes

Aid Connect In both CAR and the DRC, War Child is implementing an Aid Connect funded programme in partnership with two other organisations, titled effective approaches in ending worst forms of child labour (WFCL). This programme focuses on increasing children’s agency by empowering them and their communities with awareness of their rights to challenge social norms that condone (or perpetuate) child labour. It also works on facilitating access to appropriate alternatives to WFCL and supporting children to stay in or return to school and/or develop their skills as well as campaigning for changes to policies and practices to better support children. The programme is intended to benefit thousands of children and reach more people indirectly through dialogues and advocacy with other key stakeholders.

Despite the urgent need for such a programme , War Child and partners will now prematurely close the project activities in CAR in the next six months.

The early conclusion of this project will impact children and families already acutely affected by conflict, poverty and the latest COVID-19 pandemic. There is serious concern that the failure to deliver the interventions could lead some children to resort to negative coping mechanismssuch as mining, child labour and joining armed groups. While War Child and partners will be working on a managed project closure, we are concerned that the fragile community acceptance the organisations have developed in project areas will be lost and that communities will show more reluctance to engage with humanitarian organisations in the future.

Aid Match War Child was one of 20 grantees under round four of Aid Match with funding appeals due to commence in July 2021, however a notification was received that the FCDO would be postponing projects to the following financial year in April 2022. This decision to delay was reached despite funds having already been raised from the British public with a promise that their donations would be matched by the government.

Background on Aid Match project in Afghanistan

1 “A tragic blow for many of the world’s most marginalised people” - 200 UK NGOs condemn government cuts to aid budget | Bond 2 UK Government Did ‘No Assessment’ Into Impact of 60% Cut in Humanitarian Aid to Yemen (globalcitizen.org) From December 2020 to February 2021, War Child undertook Aid Match fundraising for a programme in Afghanistan supporting over 600 unaccompanied child migrants deported from Iran to safely reintegrate back into their communities and to reduce vulnerability of children to unsafe migration. Most of these children have experienced abuse from people smugglers, been exposed to child labour and both detained and deported. Prior to migration, some have already been exposed to severe trauma with the protracted conflict at home resulting in displacement, loss of family members and a breakdown of the community structures that keep children safe.

Just over £500,000 was raised in collaboration with the Daily Express (which would secure a matched commitment from the FCDO) yet programme implementation has been postponed until 2022. UK Aid Match provided a beacon of hope for providing lifesaving support in Afghanistan however this delay in a time-sensitive project negatively impacts on those who rely on this project.

The decision not to move ahead with this promise is expected to have different impacts on all those concerned:-

 It may result in the children identified for this project having no option but to leave home and undertake dangerous cross border travel and searching for work in Iran in order to keep their families alive.  The decision also risks undermining the credibility of humanitarian organizations – not only to the children and communities that were to benefit from these projects but also to the public and other key stakeholders where relationships have been built over a significant period.  There is the risk that the FCDOs credibility is irreparably harmed during the postponement period given the enormous support among UK taxpayers for humanitarian programmes that serve children living in conflict and funds already donated to this programme.

Reversing the decision will allow War Child to open centres this year where children can learn vocational skills and complete their education which can make the difference and prevent a child being separated from their family, from experiencing violent abuse, and from being exploited.

Conclusion The UK government has set out a vision in which the UK will be “an even stronger force for good in the world”. However the decision to withdraw grants and reduce aid is counterproductive to this vision and - more specifically for War Child - could result in marginalised children being at greater risk of facing abuse. There is serious concern especially at this time when people living in conditions of conflict and poverty have been also affected by the global pandemic.

Recommendations In the light of the above, we urge the International Development Committee to push the following recommendations with the UK government:

 To issue a timetable for restoring the aid budget to 0.7% and ensure the commitment is better protected in the future;  Reconsider the decision to press ahead with cuts to aid given the significant impacts this will have on some of the world’s most vulnerable populations;  Reinstate the Aid Match timetable of releasing match funding for 2021 and communicate to the public the delay to the process.