The UK Government's announcement that the aid budget will be reduced by 6 billion in order to increase defence spending is an additional blow to global humanitarian and development funding, adding to the devastation brought by the USAID freeze in January and a planned decline in allocations from the EU, Sweden, Germany and other European countries.

The global consequences of these decisions cannot be overstated: the withdrawal of large swathes of humanitarian and development commitments threatens to destabilise fragile regions at a time when support is more critical than ever, with the risks of global conflict on the rise, climate change rearing its head, and poverty reduction stagnating. 

Cutting overseas aid to increase defence spending creates a false dichotomy. Responsible, sustainable and forward-thinking aid strategies acknowledge that global security is intrinsically linked to development investment, helping tackle challenges - from conflict and climate vulnerability to extreme poverty, forced migration and global health crises - that affect communities worldwide.

This funding crisis underscores the flaws in the existing model of international aid funding and its heavy reliance on Western donors. However, flaws in the existing system are not justification for irresponsible funding cuts.

This funding crisis underscores the flaws in the existing model of international aid funding and its heavy reliance on Western donors. However, flaws in the existing system are not justification for irresponsible funding cuts. Instead, there should be investment in reimagining of aid funding that prioritises resilience, sustainability, equity, and community-led partnerships. Rapid, large-scale cuts do not reflect a genuine effort to build a fairer, more sustainable aid system - rather they cut off the world's most marginalised populations from critical support. This decline in global aid, if not reversed, will deepen inequality, erode trust in international cooperation, increase the risk of conflict and ultimately hit the most vulnerable - including in Afghanistan.

Ordinary men, women and children across Afghanistan have over the past five years already felt the dire consequences of dwindling financial support. Since the Taliban regained control of the country three and a half years ago, economic collapse coupled with widespread funding shortages have had a very real impact on communities. The country is facing immense challenges: post-conflict recovery, the growing impacts of climate change, enduring acute food insecurity, displacement, and for women and girls, devastating rollbacks on their basic rights. NGOs have helped to keep public services afloat, and due to the increasing restrictions on the female population have had to work harder and smarter to ensure they can still access the support they desperately need. 

But many have been sounding the alarm that funding gaps and diverted international attention are leaving already marginalised people without the ability to grow food or access critical services - for example, the UN’s World Food Programme has been forced to cut food rations since 2023, leaving roughly half the 15 million Afghans in acute need of food without rations during this year's harsh winter. Women are disproportionately impacted by these gaps because services for them are under so much more pressure.

Given Britain’s significant role in the conflict in Afghanistan, the UK Government in particular bears significant responsibility to support grassroots stabilisation and sustainable reconstruction in Afghanistan. Prime Minister Starmer reaffirmed that, despite budget cuts, the UK will prioritize funding for the most critical programs in war-torn regions, highlighting Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan. Afghanistan, too, must remain a priority for UK aid.

Afghanaid, along with other organisations, calls for aid funders to reconsider cuts and uphold their commitments, engage in broad and meaningful dialogue with the humanitarian and development sectors, and to create a responsible and innovative aid ecosystem that is sustainable and fair. We must not leave the world’s most marginalised behind.

How you can help

Your support enables our vital work alongside communities to continue, so we can keep working towards our vision of a thriving Afghanistan. There's a few ways you can get involved: