UK, German and French aid cuts will take ‘devastating toll’ on most vulnerable, says study

Key Takeaways

• Cuts to foreign aid budgets by the UK, France and Germany could contribute to more than 11.5 million preventable deaths by the end of the decade, according to a new report, which warns that Europe is abandoning its role as a pillar of global health and development.
• Three separate studies within the report reveal the extent to which the nations have slashed their foreign aid budgets, and illustrate the impact worldwide.
• UK official development assistance (ODA) spending is projected to fall by 45% between 2020 and 2026, Germany’s by 37% between 2023 and 2026, and France’s by 30% over the same period, according to the research.
• “Led by its three largest donors, the continent is moving toward a ‘new normal’ of significantly reduced international engagement – not as a temporary adjustment, but as a structural realignment,” said the report, produced by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal).
• Researchers estimate that Britain’s cuts alone could result in 5.1 million additional deaths by 2030, while France’s reductions could lead to 3.5 million and Germany’s to almost 2.9 million.