Jean McLean, Oxfam GB Chief Influencing Officer said:
"The UK Government has taken a wrecking ball to the aid budget at exactly the moment when conflict, humanitarian crises, hunger and climate breakdown are driving global need to record levels.
"These cuts will not be felt in Westminster – they will be felt by families facing starvation, children denied healthcare and education, and communities struggling to survive the impacts of conflict and climate disasters."
While the FCDO has said it will prioritise fragile and conflict affected states like OPT, Sudan, Ukraine, it will cut funding to by 90% to Mozambique, 55% to Syria, 49% to Somalia, 46% to South Sudan, 39% to Afghanistan by 2029 (all fragile and conflict-affected states).
Overall, the bilateral regional programme UK aid budget will be cut gradually by 43% in comparison to pre-cut levels, to £3.1bn in 2025/26, £1.98bn in 2026/27, to £1.86bn in 2027/28 and then £1.79bn in 2028/29.
"With a new Prime Minister soon to be in place, the Government has an opportunity to chart a different course. It must urgently restore the UK's aid commitment to 0.7% of GNI and make tackling poverty and responding to humanitarian crises a priority once again. The UK has the resources to save lives and tackle poverty – what has been missing is the political will.
"Restoring the aid budget must also mean restoring its purpose. We are deeply concerned that an increasing share of UK aid is being channelled through British International Investment, despite longstanding questions over whether its investments are consistently reaching people living in the greatest poverty. Every pound of UK aid should be focused on reducing poverty, responding to humanitarian crises and upholding human rights, not subsidising commercial investments that risk leaving the world's poorest communities behind."
