Since the beginning of 2025, the US, UK, and other large Western aid donors have announced plans to slash their aid budgets, cutting funds which men, women and children across the world depend on.

What is foreign aid?

Foreign aid refers to any type of financial, technical, or humanitarian assistance that one country or organisation voluntarily gives to another, which can take the form of a gift, grant, or loan and be administered by governments, international organisations and NGOs. This humanitarian or development assistance can include emergency relief, healthcare, education, infrastructure development, and economic support to improve lives, increase access to vital services and strengthen communities.

What impact does foreign aid have? Why does it matter?

Foreign aid has plays a crucial role in Afghanistan, providing:

• Humanitarian Relief: Emergency food, clean water, shelter and medical aid for families facing crisis.
• Economic Stability: Support for agricultural livelihoods, small businesses, and job creation.
• Education & Healthcare: Schools, teacher training, and life-saving medical programmes, including vaccinations.
• Disaster Response & Climate Resilience: Assistance after droughts, floods, and earthquakes, and to help communities proactively adapt.

With millions of Afghans facing poverty, post-conflict recovery, food insecurity, and economic hardship, foreign aid remains a lifeline. It not only saves lives but also builds long-term resilience, helping communities rebuild and once again begin to support themselves.

What is happening with global aid budgets?

The existing model of international aid funding has a heavy reliance on Western donors, leaving funding flows vulnerable to the policies of a handful of governments. This has been demonstrated in recent weeks, with several of these aid budgets facing significant reductions:

• USAID Shutdown: In January 2025, the Trump administration issued an executive order freezing all U.S. foreign development assistance, leading to the shutdown of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). This action disrupted numerous global health, humanitarian and development programmes, including those in Afghanistan.
• UK Aid Cuts: The UK government announced a planned reduction in its aid budget from 0.5% to 0.3% of gross national income, which could result in significant funding decreases for longstanding recipients and humanitarian emergencies.
• European Aid Reductions: Countries like France, Germany and Sweden, as well as the EU, have also announced plans to reduce their aid allocations, further reducing aid funds for humanitarian and development assistance.

What does this mean for people in Afghanistan?

For marginalised families across the world, including men, women and children in Afghanistan, reductions in aid can mean fewer resources for food security, healthcare, and education. It threatens progress made in rebuilding communities and leaves millions vulnerable to poverty, malnutrition, and climate-related disasters. For women in Afghanistan, due to the increasing rollbacks on their rights, they will disproportionately feel the consequences of aid shortfalls and struggle to meet their basic needs. 

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.

Read our statement on the aid cuts in full

What can I do?

Together, we can support ordinary men, women and children in Afghanistan to continue to build inclusive, sustainable and thriving futures. Whilst the challenges facing us are huge, together, our determination is bigger. 

You can make a difference: