The United Kingdom was an outlier among European and North American nations in that it significantly reduced humanitarian spending between 2019 and 2020, according to a new report by Development Initiatives.
Despite the urgent need caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, U.K. humanitarian spending fell by $900 million, or 31%, from $3 billion in 2019 to $2.1 billion in 2020. Meanwhile, the United States’ spending increased by 6.1% and European Union institutions upped their contributions by 16%.
The others on the list of top 20 donor countries to make significant reductions in humanitarian spending at that time were Saudi Arabia, down by 53%; the United Arab Emirates, by 39%; Australia, by 38%; and Japan, by 32%.
Overall, humanitarian aid dropped by 1.4% to $23.2 billion, said the report, which noted that humanitarian need increased overall in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
'Car crash': Politicians release damning trove of UK aid cuts evidence
The U.K. International Development Committee has released detailed statements from organizations affected by government aid cuts, painting the most detailed picture yet of how the reductions were made.
U.K. development assistance in 2019-2020 fell as the value of the former aid spending target of 0.7% of gross national income shrank amid the economic fallout of the pandemic. The Independent Commission for Aid Impact, which monitors U.K. development spending, later found the subsequent £943 million cut in bilateral development programming was “more drastic than needed” and based on outdated data.
Further cuts — which Devex has monitored via a tracker — have since been made as the government reduced its aid spending target to 0.5% of national income.
"This data confirms what we feared — when the global crisis hit, key donors such as the UK turned inwards, and have left those most in need without vital support,” said Angus Urquhart from Development Initiatives in a statement.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office was approached for comment but did not respond.
About the author
William Worley@willrworley
Will Worley is the Climate Correspondent for Devex, covering the intersection of development and climate change. He previously worked as UK Correspondent, reporting on the FCDO and British aid policy during a time of seismic reforms. Will’s extensive reporting on the UK aid cuts saw him shortlisted for ‘Specialist Journalist of the Year’ in 2021 by the British Journalism Awards. He can be reached at william.worley@devex.com.
