News

By Gudrun Schultz

LONDON, Great Britain, February 6, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Britain has announced a new fund providing money to organizations that promote “safe abortion” services in the developing world. The Department for International Development (DfID) will contribute £3 million over two years to the fund, as founding donor.

The fund is a direct attempt to combat losses from the withdrawal of US financial support.

The US will not contribute funding to any group that is involved in promoting abortion. That policy dissolved under Clinton, who authorized funding of international abortion organizations, but was reinstated by George Bush in 2001. Organizations seeking US support must sign a clause stating they will not encourage abortions or offer abortion services.

US policy on funding has had an impact on the abortion industry in developing countries. The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) has lost $15 million per year for the past five years, as well as two to four million dollars worth of contraceptives per year. In Kenya, for example, three clinics were closed outright, several others were reduced in size, and “outreach” programs promoting abortion and contraception were cancelled.

With new support from Britain, and anticipated support from Northern European countries, the Netherlands and Canada, the IPPF has said it hopes to see funding reach $35 million.

See related LifeSiteNews articles:

Propaganda Campaign Attempts to regain US Funding for Overseas Abortion
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2003/sep/03092501.html

Council of Europe, Planned Parenthood Attack US Pro-Life Foreign Policy
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2003/oct/03100203.html