UK Slashes Foreign Aid, African Women and Children to Suffer Most

The UK government has rolled out a plan to cut billions from its foreign aid budget, with Africa expected to feel the sharpest pain.

Funding for children’s education, women’s health, and clean water will drop significantly this year. These cuts follow the UK’s decision to shift spending away from development and into defence.

In February, the UK announced it would slash foreign aid from 0.5% of gross national income to 0.3%, triggering a 40% reduction.

Officials say the move is meant to help boost defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, in response to growing pressure from allies like the US.

But many aid organisations warn that the most vulnerable communities will now suffer. “Women and children in the most marginalised communities will pay the highest price,” said Bond, a UK-based network of aid organisations.

Cuts to Africa, Aid to Banks

According to a Foreign Office report and impact assessment, Africa will bear the brunt of the cuts. Spending on women’s reproductive health, clean water, and sanitation is dropping — with clear risks of rising disease and mortality.

Bond raised alarm that even countries facing deep humanitarian crises — like South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, and the Occupied Palestinian Territories — are now being sidelined.

Gideon Rabinowitz, Bond’s policy director, didn’t mince words: “The world’s most marginalised communities, particularly those experiencing conflict and women and girls, will pay the highest price for these political choices.”

At a time when global support for gender programming is dwindling — especially after the US scrapped many of its own — campaigners say Britain should be doing more, not less.

Despite the sweeping reductions, multilateral aid institutions like the World Bank and the Gavi vaccine alliance will remain protected.

The UK will contribute £1.98 billion over the next three years to the World Bank’s International Development Association, which supports the world’s poorest nations. That fund claims to reach 1.9 billion people.

More Defence, Less Compassion?

Baroness Chapman, the UK’s minister for development, defended the cuts: “Every pound must work harder for UK taxpayers and the people we help around the world.”

She described the plan as the outcome of “a line-by-line strategic review of aid” — focused on efficiency, humanitarian priorities, and “responsible exit from programming where necessary.”

The Foreign Office confirmed that underperforming multilateral partners will be targeted for future cuts, and some countries will see a drop in direct bilateral aid, though details are yet to be announced.

One cabinet minister admitted that public support for foreign aid has faded in recent years. That shift in public opinion may have helped pave the way for these decisions.

From 2013 to 2020, the UK proudly met its 0.7% target on foreign aid, a policy long championed by Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, and David Cameron.

But in 2021, under Conservative leadership, the figure was slashed to 0.5%, blaming Covid-era pressures.

Now, it’s down again — to 0.3%.

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