There are no winners of the UK government’s cuts to international aid

The government does not appear to have undertaken any consultation of delivery partners about these cuts, nor undertaken any impact assessments. It certainly hasn’t publicly published any information about the scale of the cuts. To say this is worrying for organisations administering aid is an understatement; it’s potentially ruinous to their ability to continue to perform crucial work.

In Yemen, reducing humanitarian support means less food for the hungry, fewer medicines, less work to engage communities in finding a solution to conflict. And while children continue to die, we continue to sell arms to Saudi Arabia.

How does any of this work in the interests of the communities who receive aid or indeed, the UK taxpayer?

Withdrawing UK support will create vacuums that others, who do not share UK values, will inevitably fill. They will not prioritise the poorest and most marginalised, or ensure that women and girls are treated fairly. Instead we risk a spread of debt-trap diplomacy from China – as we have seen in Sri Lanka and across Africa – and a frightening rise in the actions of insurgents, like the recent horrendous reports from Mozambique. And in our globalised world, these security threats won’t just stay in the Global South, they will foster problems that will end up on our doorstep, be it extremism, crime or global health threats.

Ultimately, it’s the people behind the numbers that matter – the families that won’t get food, the women who won’t be protected against violence, the children who won’t receive vaccines. For years to come, the UK taxpayer will be footing the bill for this government’s mistakes, but the true price will be paid by the poorest in the world, who won’t be alive to see the consequences of this government’s choices.

Sarah Champion is the Labour MP for Rotherham and chair of the International Development Committee

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