Foreign aid imperative to ending poverty

To the editor:

Currently, 1.2 billion people across the world struggle from extreme poverty, hunger and preventable diseases, most of whom live in developing countries. Sadly, the U.S. programs that help the poorest people in the poorest parts of the world are often the first to come under fire for potential budget cuts.

These lifesaving programs come under fire so often because Americans often have a misconception about how much money is being spent on foreign assistance. The reality is that foreign assistance makes up less than 1 percent of the federal budget - by comparison, war and defense makes up 21 percent of the budget.

Since 1990, the amount of people living in extreme poverty has declined by 60 percent, deaths from HIV have been cut in half, child deaths have been reduced by 40 percent, more children are attending primary school than ever before, and 90 percent of the world has access to clean drinking water.

Additionally, American foreign assistance opens new markets for U.S. investment and prevents conflicts from breaking out in the unstable parts of the world. Our generals have long known the importance of foreign aid; they know a more stable world is a safer world for Americans.

The fight against extreme poverty is a bipartisan endeavor and a point of national pride. I look forward to spreading this lifesaving news with my community and with the presidential candidates as they visit Iowa with volunteers like myself during the ONE Vote 2016 Campaign.

Brody Armstrong

President, ONE

Assistant Director, Human Rights Student Collective

University of Iowa

Iowa City