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    • Opinion
    • European Union

    Opinion: Aid cuts in US, UK, and beyond mean EU institutions must step up

    As aid cuts from the U.S., U.K., and other European countries bite, European Union institutions must lead reform and fill the funding gap in global development.

    By Simon O’Connell, David Kuijper // 19 March 2025

    The sudden and brutal dismantling of USAID signals twin realities of public development funding within a rapidly changing landscape — and an opportunity for reform.

    First, it highlights the undeniable value of official development assistance, or ODA. Essential for global solidarity, cooperation, and shared responsibility, ODA has helped eradicate diseases, lift millions out of poverty, and respond to humanitarian crises. In 2023, it reached $223.7 billion — though still below the United Nations’ target of 0.7% of gross national income, which was met by only five countries.

    Second, it shows how development funding must evolve. Overlapping crises — climate shocks, economic inequalities, financial gaps — hit the fastest-growing but most underfunded economies hardest. Climate finance needs in lower-income countries are fivefold higher than current levels, with adaptation alone requiring $387 billion annually until 2030. Meanwhile, a significant portion of ODA funding goes to short-term humanitarian and geopolitical crises, leaving long-term development underresourced.

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    More reading:

    ► US Paris pullout ‘good’ for European firms, says EU development chief

    ► Salvation or sellout? EU aid in spotlight over export credits

    ► Energy projects dominate new EU Global Gateway ‘flagships’ list

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    The views in this opinion piece do not necessarily reflect Devex's editorial views.

    About the authors

    • Simon O’Connell

      Simon O’Connell

      Simon O’Connell is the CEO of the global development partner, SNV, leading a team of over 1,600 people and ongoing programs in approximately 25 countries. With overall responsibility for SNV, Simon oversees a global portfolio focused on the agri-food, energy, and water sectors and systems interventions that contribute to sustainable, transformational change.
    • David Kuijper

      David Kuijper

      David Kuijper has been the CEO of the Association of European Development Finance Institutions, or EDFI, since September 2023. Previously, he served as the manager of public investment and blended finance at FMO, the Dutch development bank. Prior to that, he worked at the World Bank Group as an adviser on trust fund reform and financing for development. He joined the Netherlands Foreign Service in 1998, where he held various positions. He is an alumnus of the Free University Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and University College Dublin, Ireland.

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