Right To Life Spokesperson Clare McCarthy said:
“It is scandalous that IPPF, an international abortion provider, would be approved for funding despite ongoing investigations and allegations of sexual misconduct at a regional and overseas office.
“After the scandal with Oxfam, the public were strongly assured that UK aid money would not go to any organisation that did not meet the ‘high standards’ of safeguarding and protection required. However, it seems an exception has been made for this giant abortion provider, allowing UK aid money to be pumped into funding abortions, whatever the cost.
Crossbench peer Lord David Alton said:
“This is a £132 million pound oversight on behalf of Ministers and DfID who have failed to follow through on their promise of zero-tolerance of misconduct in the humanitarian sector.
“This emerges as the second UK aid money scandal recently. In Kenya, the DfID funded abortion provider, Marie Stopes International, was issued with a cease and desist letter by the Kenyan Medical Board banning it from offering abortion services last November.
“At the very least, it would seem that the Government is not running proper due diligence on UK aid programmes funding abortions. It’s time for the Government to end its relationship with the abortion industry and divert the millions it is giving to these big private abortion providers to providing real practical and emotional support to women facing an unplanned pregnancy.
Notes to Editors
- For additional quotes and media interviews contact 07847 454108 or email press@righttolife.org.uk
- https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/f4ce843e-184e-11e9-abc2-c39e91e3ea05
- Dfid has known of the allegations at IPPF, a global sexual-health charity, since August yet pressed ahead with funding for a two-year programme that began in September 2018.
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-46254630
- November 14th 2018: Kenya’s Medical Board bans Marie Stopes International from offering any abortion services
- A letter was sent from the Medical Practitioners Board to Marie Stopes saying: “Marie Stopes Kenya is hereby directed to immediately cease and desist offering any form of abortion services in all its facilities within the republic.”
- Witnesses who appeared before the committee said that they had made calls to the numbers provided and were referred to a clinic who charged Sh5,000 (£38) for an abortion at a woman’s request, and not according to Kenyan law.
