25 June 2010
 
In response to the G8’s announcement of US$ 5 billion dollars, over the next five years, towards the Muskoka maternal and child mortality initiative (with another US $2.3 billion committed from other donors and foundations), ActionAid’s Africa spokesperson Henry Malumo said:
 
“Yet again the G8 are making pledges good enough for a photo call but insufficient to meet the needs of the millions of people living in poverty worldwide. 

“Until the G8 deliver on their past promises, it is hard to believe in new ones. They have yet to tell us how much of the $20 billion promised to poor farmers at last year’s summit has actually been spent.

“Malnourished children are twelve times more likely to die from preventable diseases. And hunger is the underlying cause of one in five maternal deaths every year.  If the G8 want to prove they are serious about preventing the deaths of children and pregnant women, it’s time for them to deliver on previous promises.”
 
For more information contact:
(At the summit)
Henry Malumo: +1 647 230 7367 or henry.malumo@actionaid.org
Jo Walker:  +1 416 912 6167 or jo.walker@actionaid.org
 
(In London)
Natalie Curtis: +44(0)7931787025 or Natalie.Curtis@actionaid.org
Andrea Leary: + 44 (0) 7813 681213 or Andrea.Leary@actionaid.org
 
Notes to Editors:
ActionAid is a leading aid agency in the fight against hunger.  It works with farmers in 30 countries and has spearheaded a global campaign aimed at ensuring governments deliver on the first Millennium Development Goal: to halve extreme poverty and hunger by 2015.  The ActionAid HungerFREE campaign aims to put the issue of hunger to the top of the political agenda. For more information on HungerFREE go to: www.hungerfreeplanet.org

Formed in 1972, for over 30 years ActionAid has been growing to where we are today - helping over 13 million of the world's poorest and most disadvantaged people in 42 countries worldwide.

For ActionAid’s recent research on how some G8 nations have been frittering desperately needed cash for fighting hunger go to: ‘The $20 billion question: has the G8 delivered on its hunger promiseshttp://www.actionaid.org.uk/doc_lib/actionaid_g82010_mediabrief.pdf