(Letter in the Guardian) Nobody can condone ill-spent public funds and I support those seeking to use the Independent Commission for Aid Impact’s findings to challenge the Department for International Development into becoming a beacon for anti-corruption internationally (Report, 31 October). However, with Ukip having pledged to cut foreign aid by 85%, those who know the real value of DfID’s work must continue to speak out. I have seen this recently in its support for British surgical missions to Gaza after the July conflict. By helping to mend the broken bones of some of the most severely injured Palestinians, DfID is not only changing the lives of hundreds of people in Gaza but building bridges of solidarity in a region where Britain’s reputation is not what it could be. We must not let such stories of aid-effectiveness be lost to short-term political positioning.
Dr Phyllis Starkey, MAP Trustee
Oxford