Cuts to foreign aid by Western governments could result in 369,000 additional child deaths from severe malnutrition annually, according to a study in Nature. The reduction in overseas development budgets by the UK, USA, and other major donors is expected to create an 'unprecedented crisis.' Britain's aid budget will drop by 40% (approximately £6 billion) by 2027 to prioritise defence spending, prompting the resignation of development minister Anneliese Dodds. The USA has dissolved USAID, which previously managed much of its $60 billion foreign aid. Other nations, including France, the Netherlands, and Belgium, have also cut foreign aid, by 37%, 30%, and 25% respectively. Emergency nutrition spending could fall by half ($290 million annually), leaving 2.3 million children without critical treatment for severe malnutrition. In Nigeria, USAid's withdrawal halted nutrition services for 5.6 million children. In Sudan, nearly 80% of emergency food kitchens have closed.
Foreign aid cuts ‘will leave an extra 369,000 children to starve’
Written by David Fletcher 27 Mar 2025
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- Pray: for compassion in government policies to save vulnerable children's lives. Pray for a change of heart in the UK and other government foreign aid decisions. (Matthew 25:40)
- More: www.thetimes.com/article/456675d4-7348-422f-a833-ca278c88d969?shareToken=c1e00081e06205e3ac967e8c60e3f956
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