Responding to the news that the specific Ministerial role covering International Development has been removed from the Scottish Government, Jamie Livingstone, Head of Oxfam Scotland, said:
“We are living in dangerous, fractious times; with bloody conflicts raging, millions of people on the brink of starvation and a planet which is ablaze. Humanitarian demands have skyrocketed while human rights face constant attack. At a time when global solidarity has never been more needed, the First Minister’s decision to axe the dedicated Ministerial position for International Development is deeply concerning. The First Minister must now show there is no weakening of Scotland’s long-standing commitment to being a good global citizen, including by delivering the SNP’s manifesto promise to boost Scotland’s small, but valuable funding to the communities who need it most.”
/ENDS
For more information and interviews, please contact: Rebecca Lozza, Oxfam Media and Communications Adviser, Scotland and Wales: rlozza1@oxfam.org.uk / 07917738450