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Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has highlighted the need for more investment in human development
Excessive military spending is diverting crucial resources away from pressing humanitarian needs, Ghanian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has said during an interview with RT.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue conference in New Delhi, India, he stressed that while billions of dollars are being poured into conflicts, millions of people continue to suffer from hunger, inadequate healthcare, and lack of access to essential services.
“Too much money is going into war when people are starving, people are dying. Babies are dying, pregnant women are dying when they shouldn’t be dying,” Ablakwa said, pointing out that over $380 billion has already been funneled into the conflicts in Ukraine and in the Middle East.
The minister questioned the global obsession with military expansion, arguing that funds could instead be used to combat homelessness, provide electricity, build hospitals, ensure clean water access, and fund childhood vaccination programs.
Ablakwa urged world leaders to rethink their allocation of resources, emphasizing that human development should take precedence over warfare. “We must stop shifting resources away from human development, using it to build killing machines,” he declared.
The foreign minister also highlighted the growing strength of South-South cooperation, noting that India and African countries share common challenges and a collective vision for development. “We are doing well in the G20, doing well in BRICS. South-South cooperation is at an all-time high,” he remarked.
According to Ablakwa, the global order is undergoing a transformation, moving towards a multipolar system where new alliances are being forged. As geopolitical landscapes evolve, the minister underscored the necessity of redefining international priorities – redirecting funds from war efforts to development and strengthening partnerships that foster prosperity for all.
“There’s a certain consciousness that we need to come together,” he observed.
In 2024, Western nations allocated €50 billion ($54 billion) in aid to Ukraine, with nearly 60% of the contributions coming from European allies and Canada, according to NATO reports. According to a 2024 report by Brown University’s Watson Institute, the US spent $22.76 billion to support Israel’s war in Gaza and military operations against the Houthis in Yemen.
