•  new york
• Wednesday, March 09, 2011
• Inter Press Service

The UK government will virtually double its core funding for UNICEF, after a recent aid review found the agency highly effective in delivering results to keep children healthy and ensure access to quality education.

'Nine organisations have been assessed as providing very good value for the British tax payer,' said Andrew Mitchell, UK’s Secretary of State for International Development. 'UNICEF’s work to keep children healthy and ensure they have access to education enables them to demonstrate the kind of results that the British taxpayer can feel proud to have played a part in achieving.'

The British government’s annual contribution nearly doubled from 21 million pounds ($35.2 million) in 2010/2011 to 40 million pounds ($65.3 million) in 2011/2012; the contribution is to core funding, which are non-earmarked donations allowing for rapid responses and flexibility in delivering assistance on the ground.

The Multilateral Aid Review, commissioned by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), assessed if the UK’s contributions to international organizations were yielding maximum results.

The review found that UNICEF was able to demonstrate 'impressive results' in helping to tackle child mortality, maternal health issues, education and HIV/AIDS — all of which are closely aligned to the UK Government's aid objectives.

The UK also noted that UNICEF delivers a number of programmes for children in conflict and fragile states. As a result of the aid review the UK Government is looking to expand its work in fragile states, 15 of which are among the 20 poorest in the world.

UNICEF’s Executive Director, Anthony Lake welcomed UK’s assistance to improve the lives of the world's poorest and most vulnerable children. 'UNICEF is deeply grateful to the people of the United Kingdom for their generosity, and we will work hard to earn their continued confidence by delivering results for the children most in need.'

© Inter Press Service (2011) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

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