9 Conclusion
145. Just over a decade ago UK troops played a major
role in ending the Civil War in Sierra Leone which had devastating
consequences for the country. Since then there has been much progress
and DFID as the major bilateral donor has played a leading role.
However, the country still has a long way to go and in some areas
such as youth unemployment the conditions remain depressingly
similar to when our predecessor Committee visited in 2006; in
other areas such as corruption and policing there seems to have
been a deterioration. The situation is similar in Liberia although
there are differences. Health statistics are better in Liberia,
but unrest may remain more of a problem in that country; the UN
mission remains there, but has left Sierra Leone.
146. Although the economy of Sierra Leone has been
growing rapidly because of the extractive industries, the majority
of the people have seen few benefits. The country continues to
suffer from high unemployment, lack of human capacity, corruption,
poor health outcomes and poor infrastructure, notably a lack of
access to electricity.
147. Since our visit in June, the Ebola outbreak
has dramatically spread. Not only is it an appalling disease,
but it also has serious consequences for all aspects of life,
undermining the economy and the health service and threatening
civil unrest. The achievements of the last decade could be lost.
The international community must pull together and act.
148. We recognise that DFID has made a big contribution
to the improvements made in Sierra Leone since the Civil War and
that it has knowledgeable, able and enthusiastic staff, but we
are concerned about some aspects of its work and recent decisions.
In particular, we are appalled that DFID Sierra Leone's budget
is being cut, along with those of other African countries, at
a time when the UK ODA budget is at its highest ever and has met
the target of 0.7% of GNI. This is particularly unacceptable in
view of the Ebola outbreak when spending in this part of the world
will need to increase so that all past development gains are not
lost. If anything the experience in Sierra Leone and Liberia has
highlighted the long-term nature of the development process in
post-conflict environments, and the requirement for support to
be maintained over a number of decades. More needs to be done
in order to realise the full benefits of the reforms already achieved.
It is clear that as the main bilateral donor to Sierra Leone and
with its historical ties this responsibility will fall to the
UK. Unfortunately it has taken the Ebola epidemic to refocus international
attention on this area of Africa.
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