In London and Washington, national security and foreign aid policies are increasingly linked. Significant amounts of aid to countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq is tied into military and security operations. UK aid to Afghanistan is expected to increase by 40% over the next three years.
In a new report published today, relief agency Oxfam calls on donors to allocate life-saving aid based on need - and not on short-term political or military gains.
What are the dangers of blurring defence and development projects? Joining Madeleine Bunting in the studio are Guardian columnist and foreign correspondent Jonathan Steele; Daniel Korski, senior policy advisor at the European Council on Foreign Relations; Mike Lewis, humanitarian, conflict and security policy advisor at Oxfam GB; and John Hilary, executive director of the campaign group War on Want.
• Research by Claire Provost
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