The Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales have urged the Government to re-think cuts to international aid. 

In a joint article in the Evening Standard, Archbishop Justin Welby and Cardinal Vincent Nichols said it was "deeply worrying" that the Government had "broken" its promise to stick to the legally binding target of 0.7% of national output. 

"This promise, repeatedly made even during the pandemic, has been broken and must be put right," they said.

They warned that cuts in aid to countries like Yemen, Syria and South Sudan are already "doing real damage to life-saving work". 

"Promises - and truth - matter in politics, as in all walks of life. Real damage has been done. But it is never too late to do the right thing," they said. 

In their article, they said the pandemic had shown how "connected" countries are and how much they "depend on each other". 

"Saying the Government will only do this 'when the fiscal situation allows' is deeply worrying, suggesting that it will act in contravention of its legally binding target," they continued.

"This promise, repeatedly made even during the pandemic, has been broken and must be put right."