UK Targets Overseas Aid to Crisis and Conflict Zones Amid Budget Cuts
Britain's reduced overseas aid budget will focus on regions experiencing the "greatest crisis and conflict," the foreign secretary announced, revealing that some countries will face "significantly" reduced grants.
Yvette Cooper informed MPs that funding will be "fully protected" next year for Ukraine, Palestine, Lebanon, and Sudan, while countries such as Mozambique and Pakistan will experience the largest cuts to their direct grants.
The government declared last year its intention to cut approximately £6bn from the overseas aid budget by 2027 to finance increased defence spending.
Aid organisations have criticised the "reckless" reductions, and Labour MP Sarah Champion warned that the government's strategy could "make the whole world more vulnerable." Bond, a UK network for international development organisations, highlighted severe cuts, especially impacting the Middle East and Africa.
Statement on Aid Funding and Priorities
In a statement to MPs, Cooper explained that direct bilateral aid funding would be reduced, but support for "proven global partnerships," including the vaccine alliance Gavi, would continue.
She outlined priorities such as assisting fragile states, addressing violence against women and girls, and responding to climate change.
The foreign secretary stated:
"Countries like Yemen, Somalia and Afghanistan will remain humanitarian priorities, they will see direct grant reductions although we will continue to support multilateral programmes which operate in those countries too.
Countries like Pakistan and Mozambique will remain development priorities but their direct grant funding will be significantly reduced and instead we will run partnerships for investment."
Cooper emphasised the need for "partnership not paternalism," with the UK aiming to be "an investor not just a donor" to assist other countries in "attracting finance, not be dependent on aid."
Concerns Raised by MPs and Aid Groups
Sarah Champion, chair of the international development committee, noted that military officials consider development funding as "the best line of prevention and first defence," warning that the cuts could have "massive consequences."
"These included people 'coming to our shores' to seek sanctuary and opportunities that will have been reduced in their own countries."
Liberal Democrat international spokesperson Monica Harding criticised the government's approach as "strategically illiterate," cautioning that Russia or China might fill the void left by the UK.
"By cutting aid and development [Cooper] weakens our security and therefore needs more defence spend down the line."
When asked about assurances regarding continued support for polio eradication efforts, Cooper responded:
"We are not continuing the direct funding around Polio, that is a difficult decision.
But what we are doing is insisting that Polio is covered as part of the Gavi funding."
Reactions from Development Organisations
Bond CEO Romilly Greenhill stated:
"Africa and the Middle East, both home to some of the world's least-developed countries, will be forced to pay the highest price because of the reduced budget."
Adrian Lovett, UK executive director of the ONE Campaign, expressed concern:
"Slashing bilateral aid to Africa, where need is greatest, will have a devastating impact.
These choices will leave millions without access to basic healthcare, education and urgent humanitarian support, and risk a resurgence of deadly diseases we've spent decades trying to fight."
Background on UK Aid Spending
The previous Conservative government reduced aid spending from 0.7% of gross national income—a global benchmark—to 0.5% in 2021, citing economic pressures caused by the Covid pandemic.
Labour's 2024 general election manifesto stated the party was "committed to restoring" development spending to 0.7% "as soon as fiscal circumstances allow," but within months, they announced it would be reduced to 0.3% by 2027.
A House of Commons Library briefing last month estimated that aid at 0.3% will total approximately £9.2bn.
Domestic Use of Aid Budget for Refugee Support
International regulations permit governments to allocate part of their foreign aid budgets domestically to support asylum seekers during their first year after arrival.
Government statistics indicate that £2.8bn, or 20% of the UK's aid budget, was spent supporting refugees in 2024.
This includes accommodation costs for thousands of recently arrived asylum seekers, with the government committing to ending the use of asylum hotels.
