The UK government has announced a major shift in its foreign aid strategy, slashing bilateral funding to some of the world’s poorest countries by nearly £900 million by 2028-29. This represents a 56% reduction in aid to African nations, according to the Guardian, as part of a broader £6bn cut in overseas development spending. The move has sparked criticism from aid agencies, who warn it will leave the UK’s reputation in tatters and create a more unequal and unstable world.

Aid to Africa and the Middle East Will Suffer Most

The cuts will have the most severe impact on countries in Africa and the Middle East, regions home to many of the world’s least-developed nations. According to the report. The UK’s bilateral aid to African countries will fall from £818 million in 2026 to £677 million by 2029. This reduction is part of a broader strategy to redirect funding toward multilateral agencies such as the World Bank and the African Development Bank.

Romilly Greenhill, CEO of Bond, the UK network for NGOs, said: “Africa and the Middle East, both home to some of the world’s least-developed countries, will be forced to pay the highest price because of the reduced budget.” Bond’s analysis of the government’s impact assessment found that the cuts would leave children, people with disabilities, and older people more vulnerable across Ethiopia, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia.

In Somalia, one of the world’s most unstable countries, the reduction in aid is expected to severely affect access to health services for women and children. The cuts could also limit the number of girls and children with disabilities who can attend school in South Sudan.

Focus on Conflict Zones and Military Spending

The UK’s aid strategy is now heavily focused on conflict zones, with 70% of support to be allocated to the most fragile and conflict-affected states by 2029. This includes countries like Palestine, Sudan, and Ukraine. The shift comes as the government increases its defense spending in response to growing international tensions, particularly following the Iran-US conflict.

Labour MPs have expressed skepticism about whether the aid cuts will achieve the intended goal of bolstering UK military spending. They argue that the delays in the defense investment plan and the continued demand for billions more in military funding have undermined the effectiveness of the cuts.

The 40% reduction in UK aid spending, which was approved by MPs last year, means that all aid spending will be cut to G20 countries except Turkey. The majority of funding will now be focused on conflict zones, primarily Palestine, Sudan, and Ukraine.

Some Countries Will Lose Almost All Development Aid

Countries such as Mozambique and Pakistan will have almost all their development aid cut, with funding replaced by partnerships focused on investment. In contrast, spending will be protected this year for Lebanon, due to the intensity of the current Israeli offensive.

Yvette Cooper, the foreign secretary, said that countries like Afghanistan, Somalia, and Yemen would still receive funding from multinational aid agencies. However, the crisis reserve for humanitarian emergencies has also been cut, from £85 million to £75 million.

Cooper defended the decision, stating: “This for us is not an ideological step – it is a difficult choice in the face of international threats.” The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said the changes were part of a pivot to multilateral contributions through international agencies.

The FCDO will phase out all funding for bilateral programs in G20 countries, except for a small allocation to refugee-hosting in Turkey. No direct aid will go to countries such as Brazil, India, Indonesia, and South Africa.

Development minister Jenny Chapman said that some of the poorest African nations, such as Malawi, Mozambique, and Sierra Leone, have expressed a preference for expertise partnerships with the UK, focusing on building stable financial systems and clean energy, rather than traditional aid programs.

Chapman added: “I think the concern that happened a year ago around the cuts was that people thought we were doing this because we lost faith in the agenda, we were turning our backs on the world … that this was a values shift. It’s absolutely not.”

She emphasized that the government had undertaken the changes in a “very collaborative way with our global south partners,” and had been “very open about it” in international discussions.

However, some Labour MPs have criticized the move, with Fleur Anderson, MP for Putney, saying: “The government has on one hand increased defense spending in response to a more dangerous world, but on the other cut the investment that helps build stability before crises emerge.”

Anderson argued that a serious approach to global security must place development spending at the heart of global resilience and security. She warned that without this, the UK would be “simply waiting for crises” rather than preventing them.

The cuts will also end aid to some major funders, including the polio eradication program and the Pandemic Fund. The cost of housing asylum seekers in UK hotels—running at roughly £2 billion a year—is taken from the aid budget. This means that by 2027-28, aid spending on overseas programs is expected to reach its lowest since records began in 1970, at just 0.24% of gross national income.

Adrian Lovett, UK executive director of the ONE Campaign, said: “Today’s figures lay bare the true scale of these cuts and the damage they will do. Slashing bilateral aid to Africa, where need is greatest, will have a devastating impact. These choices will leave millions without access to basic healthcare, education, and urgent humanitarian support, and risk a resurgence of deadly diseases we’ve spent decades trying to fight.”

The UK has ringfenced £240 million a year until 2029, alongside billions in loan guarantees for Ukraine. Allocations for Palestine and Lebanon are also protected at current levels, with the latter explicitly funded to “reduce the drivers of irregular migration.”

The FCDO has said the changes will prioritize geopolitical security and conflict, as well as funding for major multinational agencies such as Gavi, the vaccine program. Funding is also being protected for the British Council and the BBC World Service.

Cooper said the government’s intention is to gradually return to the 0.7% aid target when possible, despite the current cuts. However, the changes represent a wholesale overhaul of the way aid spending will now operate, even though the 0.7% target is legally enshrined.