KINGSTON UPON HULL, United Kingdom — Speaking to the U.K. Parliament on March 19, 2026, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding cuts announced in February 2025. While much of the statement repeated established government positions, its more positive tone to eventually restore ODA funding offers a hopeful sign for the future.

2025 ODA Cuts

In early 2025, the U.K. announced a commitment to reduce foreign aid spending from 0.5% of gross national income (GNI) to 0.3% of GNI by 2027. These phased cuts will reduce the U.K.’s aid spending to the lowest level in decades and are expected to have detrimental impacts on millions of the world’s most vulnerable people.

While there are not yet exact details on the full impact of these cuts, certain conclusions can be drawn. For instance, the U.K. halved the 2026/27 budget for health, education and protection aid for children. This is likely to have severe consequences for vulnerable child populations, who already represent 60% of people living in extreme poverty.

This has already resulted in the closure of “life-saving humanitarian programmes, including education provision in Syria and healthcare programmes across Africa” according to Bond’s director of policy and advocacy Gideon Rabinowitz.

Previous development budget cuts have disproportionately affected programs supporting children, falling 57% between 2019 and 2023. Continuing this trend as the U.K.’s ODA budget tightens even further would be a mistake.

This is only one aspect of the problem. ODA cuts in the U.K., across Europe and the US have detrimental impacts on an incredibly diverse range of issues faced by vulnerable communities across the globe. However, people are working to protect them in this time of increased instability and wavering multilateral support.

NGOs Filling the Gap

In the place of state funding, certain NGOs have stepped up and supported the worst-impacted programs where possible. For instance, UNICEF issued a statement and analysis of cuts to U.K. ODA funding, outlining their consolidation of core sectors and programs. Where possible, UNICEF is taking vital steps to shield vulnerable children from the worst of these cuts in health and nutrition services, supporting the maintenance of education initiatives and assisting the operation of the lifesaving WASH program.

Cuts to bilateral funding have also forced greater localization, making the role of national and regional actors more important than ever. Organizations like the Universal Network for Knowledge & Empowerment (UNKEA) in South Sudan have adopted national leadership roles, taking on a co-coordinating role in the education cluster and delivering essential programs supported by Save the Children in a time of particular national instability and international neglect.

A Statement of Hope?

Given these facts, the Foreign Secretary’s statement in March presents a mixed, yet notably optimistic, outlook. Alongside comments on delivering greater impact with a reduced budget, Cooper broadly outlined the U.K.’s new approach to development aid. In particular, the explicit commitment to “return to 0.7% [ODA as a percentage of GNI] when the fiscal circumstances allow,” along with an acknowledgment of Britain’s domestic benefits from foreign development, offers cause for cautious but considerable hope.

This commitment, while rhetorical, is promising, as it represents an ideological commitment to Britain continuing to be a major contributor to foreign aid. One can interpret Cooper’s words as a positive sign for the future of U.K. ODA investment, as the U.K. enters a period of reduced yet strategically targeted aid. More measurable actions were also announced, including the prioritization of support for “countries and communities facing the worst humanitarian needs,” which will receive a secured £1.4 billion per year (approximately $1.85 billion).

Additionally, Lebanon has been added to the list of nations receiving protected aid, alongside Ukraine, Palestine and Sudan. These measures are positive and welcome during a period of heightened global instability driven by war, famine and the effects of climate instability.

Final Remarks

This most recent statement on the ODA funding budget is a mixed, yet overall positive, commitment to eventually restore the budget to 0.7% of GNI target. Overall, the Foreign Secretary’s statement offers long-term hope for the U.K.’s development efforts. However, more clarity is required before meaningful action can be taken to adapt to the impact of the U.K.’s cuts in the meantime.

However, the uncertainty of if and when this funding would be restored means that, in the meantime, the work of international and, increasingly, localized NGOs is vital to the maintenance of key programs. Particularly, in education and the health and hygiene WASH initiative, work by organizations like UNICEF and localized NGOs is essential to keeping development and communities afloat.

So, while U.K. ODA funding remains at 0.3% for the foreseeable future, the efforts of NGOs are now the difference maker in many developing nations. Therefore, the public backing of recommendations by more than 90 INGO leaders and advocacy in favor of restoring a degree of funding towards development aid and NGO budgets is more important than ever.

– Evan Meikle

Evan is based in Kingston upon Hull, UK and focuses on Global Health and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons