It Won't Wash!

A leaked (you might 'get it' later) memo from the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has suggested ways of deflecting criticism. Their worry is that the decision to slash funding for overseas water and sanitation projects by 80% might look bad (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/apr/28/uk-slash-aid-budget-funding-overseas-water-sanitation-projects). The memo pointed out that, people might be taken aback that this is happening, at a time when people are encouraged to wash their hands, to avoid a Covid-19 infection. Hygiene in relation to Covid is important but it's small beer. Poor water quality encourages many other long-established human diseases such as Cholera and Bilharzia. This particular bit of slashing seems very ill-advised. It's almost as if they don't mind pockets of infection being set up?