Why we’re asking the PM to reverse the DFID-FCO merger

Doctors of the World UK signs an open letter asking the UK Government to reconsider the DFID-FCO merger, which will hurt the world’s poorest.

On Monday, 22 June, we joined nearly 200 NGOs and think tanks in writing to Prime Minister Boris Johnson to ask that he reconsider his decision to merge the Department for International Development (DFID) with the Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO).

Spearheaded by the British Overseas NGOs for Development (BOND), the open letter highlights DFID’s excellent record on humanitarian assistance and warns the merger risks jeopardising the UK’s global COVID-19 response and the UK turning its back on the world’s poorest people. 

DFID leads the UK’s work to end extreme poverty by providing funding to organisations tackling global challenges, such as disease, conflict, and climate change.

Over the years, DFID grants have helped fund some of Doctors of the World/Médecins du Monde’s biggest projects, including our response to the West Africa Ebola outbreak and war in Syria.

With the world facing one of the biggest global crises in the COVID-19 pandemic, it is vital that DFID remains independent to ensure UK aid goes where it’s needed most – regardless of politics.

You can view a copy of the open letter below. Please read and share to help save DFID.