“U.K. aid to Africa fell sharply last year following a drop in its multilateral contributions, according to ONE, the anti-poverty group,” The Guardian reports. “In a report on the eve of the government’s comprehensive spending review, ONE said U.K. official development assistance (ODA) to the continent fell by 7.4 percent to £3.41 billion [$5.27 billion] in 2012,” the newspaper writes, adding, “Sub-Saharan Africa saw an even sharper drop of 9.8 percent to £3.07 billion [$4.74 billion].” However, the newspaper continues, “given chancellor George Osborne’s budget statement in March, U.K. aid spending is expected to significantly increase, following a decline to £8.56 billion [$13.22 billion] in 2012.” The Guardian adds, “Although aid to Africa dropped disproportionately last year, the U.K. still devotes the largest share of its ODA to the region” (Tran, 6/24).