The UK Government has reaffirmed its commitment to international aid despite the Trump administration’s decision to freeze funding for the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the world’s largest aid provider.
Speaking on Thursday, Development Minister Anneliese Dodds said the UK was conducting an “urgent assessment” of the potential impact of Donald Trump’s move on its own aid programmes.
UK maintains strong aid commitment
Dodds emphasised that while the US decision was a matter for its own government, the UK’s focus remained on achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) through international cooperation.
“This is a matter for the US. You will know that we as the UK are absolutely focused on making progress towards the sustainable development goals, and that requires collective action,” she said.
“We will continue to work with all of our international partners towards that end.”
She reiterated that the UK’s “commitment to supporting humanitarian aid imperatives and development across the world remains steadfast.”
The UK Government’s stance comes amid growing concerns over the future of global aid initiatives, as Trump and billionaire Elon Musk seek to impose deep cuts on federal spending, including USAID, which Musk has controversially labelled “evil” and “a criminal organisation”.
UK aid spending increases despite global uncertainty
Dodds’ remarks followed the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) publishing its aid allocations for 2024/25, which saw total spending on official development assistance (ODA) rise to £9.3 billion, up from £8.1 billion the previous year.
The latest figures exceed the £8.3 billion originally planned for the 2024/25 fiscal year under the previous government’s spending framework.
Dodds said she had made minimal adjustments to the existing plans, ensuring “stability” in UK aid commitments.
Key funding increases included:
- £113 million in additional humanitarian support for Sudan and refugees in neighbouring countries.
- £15 million extra for the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
- £50 million allocated for humanitarian aid in Syria, following the collapse of the Assad regime last year.
Shifts in UK aid priorities
While funding for Africa and humanitarian crises increased, allocations for Europe and the Indo-Pacific region, including India, were lower than in previous plans set out in 2023.
In her statement to Parliament, Dodds highlighted a key shift in aid spending priorities. With reductions in the amount spent on housing asylum seekers in the UK, more of the aid budget could be redirected towards overseas programmes.
She also made it clear that any reductions in aid allocations were a result of decisions made by the previous government, except where budgets had not been fully utilised or where changes in global circumstances required reprioritisation.
Balancing fiscal responsibility with aid commitments
The UK Government is currently operating under a target of spending 0.5% of gross national income (GNI) on overseas aid, a figure that was reduced from 0.7% by the previous administration.
Although the Labour Party has pledged to restore the 0.7% target, it has maintained that this will only happen when fiscal conditions allow—a position similar to that of its Conservative predecessors.
Mixed reactions from development experts
The Government’s latest aid spending plans have drawn mixed responses from the international development community.
Gideon Rabinowitz, policy director at Bond, a global development network, welcomed the increase in aid funding for Africa but urged the Government to go further in prioritising the world’s poorest countries.
“It is encouraging to see a significant increase in ODA funding for Africa, which was allocated £1.5 billion, beginning to repair the damage caused by devastating cuts over previous years,” he said.
“However, the Government could have gone further in prioritising the countries that need support the most, as a significant portion of additional funding is being directed toward British International Investment (BII), an institution with a less-than-stellar track record of prioritising these countries.”
Meanwhile, Ian Mitchell, senior policy fellow at the Center for Global Development, argued that the Government’s efforts to reduce domestic asylum costs had freed up resources for overseas aid.
“By reducing the cost of hosting refugees in the UK, ministers have freed up some more of the aid budget to be spent on what it’s meant for – ‘overseas’ aid,” Mitchell noted.
“They can now nearly double spending in Africa—after a 15-year low. This is the first sign that the Government is serious about tackling extreme poverty.”
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UK’s role in global aid leadership
With the US retreating from its global development responsibilities, many international observers believe the UK has an opportunity to take on a leadership role in humanitarian aid and development funding.
Mitchell added:
“At a time when the Trump administration is dismantling the US’s development agency, the UK can demonstrate to the rest of the world that even a modest development budget can have major impacts if it is focused where aid goes furthest.”
What happens next?
The UK’s reaffirmed commitment to international aid will be tested in the coming months as the global aid landscape adjusts to the US’s funding freeze on USAID.
With crises escalating in Sudan, the Middle East, and Africa, the need for stable, well-directed aid funding is more urgent than ever. The Government now faces the challenge of balancing fiscal responsibility with its humanitarian commitments, all while ensuring that Britain’s global leadership in development remains intact.
As international aid agencies brace for potential funding gaps left by the US withdrawal, the UK’s next steps will be closely watched by both domestic and global partners.
