Paris — Wealthy countries boosted their aid spending in 2016, investing a record $143bn in overseas development as migrants continued to pour into Europe, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said on Tuesday. The 8.9% increase in aid spending was partly driven by a 27.5% increase in spending on refugees, the Paris-based OECD said. The US remained the world’s biggest donor overall, spending $33.6bn on overseas assistance, ahead of Germany with $24.7bn and the UK with $18bn. But the US leadership position could be short-lived. In a draft budget in March, US President Donald Trump proposed steep reductions in foreign aid as part of his "America first" approach. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has, by contrast, thrown her country’s doors open to migrants fleeing war, persecution and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. In 2016, Germany increased its aid spending by 36% as it attempted to absorb the more than 1-million migrants who have streamed into ...
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