Last week, we learned that 40% of UK aid funding - roughly £6 billion, will vanish by 2027. This means the UK foreign aid budget will be at its lowest level for 25 years, the largest cuts in aid by any UK Government.
This follows the US Government aid freeze in January, meaning that £38 billion in anticipated humanitarian funding has been lost in just one month.
The impact of these cuts to vital aid is terrifying for children and families living through war. Nearly 1 in 5 children, 473 million, are living in conflict zones. UK aid saves lives, prevents wars, and helps children recover.
While the specifics of the cuts remain unclear, what’s certain is that in years to come lifesaving support for those who need it most will be even thinner on the ground – despite it already being insufficient for the growing numbers of children living through war.
No Government should balance its books on the backs of the world's most vulnerable children.
The UK has long been a global leader in aid, but this move risks setting a dangerous precedent to other governments around the world also cutting their spending.
Wars Start Where Aid Stops. Humanitarian work must continue.
In countries where humanitarian needs are severely unmet, the likelihood of violence and conflict increases, which then will inevitably make the situation for children much worse and the need for aid that much greater.
For charities like War Child, reducing aid makes our work harder. The UK Government currently supports War Child projects in Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, South Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo.
Now is the time to strengthen our commitment to the innocent children living through war, not retreat from it.
Children in war zones are losing their voices and their right to advocate for themselves.
We must speak up for them.
