Oxfam warns looming budget cuts will hinder the ability of aid agencies to prepare and respond to natural disasters in developing countries.
The federal government has slashed Australia's aid budget by a total of $11.3 billion over several years, including an unprecedented $1 billion hit in the next financial year.
"We cannot run and hide from a world where humanitarian disasters and crises are growing," Oxfam Australia chief executive Helen Szoke said, adding that the agency is responding to Nepal's worst earthquake in 80 years.
ChildFund Australia chief Nigel Spence warned aid cuts will force his agency to scale back or completely scrap projects for children and families in 13 countries across the Asia-Pacific region and Africa.
He argued strong economic growth in some developing countries did not always flow down to the poorest of the poor and cited Papua New Guinea as an example.
While the PNG economy is on the up as a result of a natural gas boom it's ranked 157 out of 187 on a global human development index.
Share
