The United Kingdom has lost more than 200 development professionals since last year’s merger of the Department for International Development and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Devex has learned.
A Freedom of Information Act request sent by Devex to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office revealed that 213 former DFID employees have left the new department since it opened on Sept. 2, 2020.
FCDO sees in its first birthday from an unsteady position, facing criticism for its performance amid the withdrawal from Afghanistan and specifically the conduct of embattled Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, against whom significant blame has been leveled for the crisis. Concerns are now shifting to Afghanistan’s humanitarian and development requirements, but it is unclear how FCDO’s capacity to respond may have been affected by the loss of former DFID staffers.
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.
