Africa to be hit hard as UK foreign aid cuts revealed – BBC

Report on UK Foreign Aid Reductions and Implications for Sustainable Development Goals
1.0 Overview of Policy Change and Impact on SDG 17
The UK government has announced a significant reduction in its foreign aid budget, cutting spending from 0.5% to 0.3% of gross national income (GNI). This 40% reduction is intended to facilitate an increase in defence spending. This policy represents a substantial deviation from the internationally recognised target of 0.7% ODA/GNI, directly impacting the UK’s contribution to SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
2.0 Analysis of Reductions by Sector and SDG Impact
A Foreign Office report indicates that the cuts will disproportionately affect bilateral aid programmes, particularly in Africa. The reductions pose a direct threat to progress on several key Sustainable Development Goals.
- SDG 4 (Quality Education): Funding for children’s education faces major reductions. Charities such as Street Child have confirmed that educational programmes in Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo will end, directly reversing progress on ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education.
- SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) & SDG 5 (Gender Equality): Support for women’s health is among the largest areas of reduction. This decision is projected to negatively affect maternal health, access to reproductive services, and overall gender equality outcomes. Unicef noted the cuts will have a “devastating and unequal impact on children and women.”
- SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation): The budget for water and sanitation projects will be decreased. An official impact assessment acknowledges this will lead to increased risks of disease and death, undermining efforts to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
3.0 Stakeholder Reactions and Assessed Consequences
The policy change has drawn widespread criticism from non-governmental organisations and political figures, who highlight the negative consequences for global development targets.
- Aid Organisations: Bond, a UK network for development organisations, stated the government is “deprioritising” funding for education, gender, and humanitarian crises, noting that the world’s most marginalised communities, particularly women and girls, will bear the highest cost. Unicef UK called the move “deeply short-sighted” and urged the government to direct at least 25% of remaining aid to child-focused initiatives to protect progress on SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).
- Political Scrutiny: The Chair of the International Development Committee, Sarah Champion, and the Liberal Democrat international development spokesperson, Monica Harding, warned that the cuts will have an “appalling impact” on the world’s most vulnerable populations.
4.0 Government Justification and Protected Programmes
The government has defended the cuts as the result of a “line-by-line strategic review” focused on prioritisation and efficiency. Development Minister Baroness Chapman stated the goal is to make “every pound work harder.” While bilateral aid is being reduced, certain multilateral commitments are being protected, which aligns with specific aspects of the SDGs.
- Multilateral Aid: Funding for international organisations, including the Gavi vaccine alliance, will be maintained, supporting global health initiatives under SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being).
- World Bank Funding: The government confirmed £1.98bn in funding over three years for the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank’s fund for low-income countries, which supports a broad range of SDGs.
- Humanitarian Support: A commitment was made to continue playing a key humanitarian role in hotspots such as Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan, addressing immediate needs related to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
The article discusses the UK government’s decision to cut foreign aid, which directly impacts several key areas of sustainable development. Based on the specific programs and populations mentioned, the following SDGs are addressed:
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The article explicitly states that cuts will affect “women’s health” and lead to “increased risks… of disease and death.”
- SDG 4: Quality Education: The text highlights that “support for children’s education” faces major reductions, with a charity noting that its work to “help children get access to education” will end, meaning “children who used to go to school will not go to school.”
- SDG 5: Gender Equality: The impact on “women’s health” and the “unequal impact on children and women” are central themes. The article also notes the government is “deprioritising” funding for “gender” and that the UK should be “stepping up, not stepping back” on “gender programming.”
- SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: The Foreign Office report mentioned in the article shows that cuts will lead to “less spent on… water sanitation.”
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The entire article is centered on the reduction of Official Development Assistance (ODA), a key component of global partnerships. The text specifies the cut is “from 0.5% of gross national income to 0.3%,” directly addressing the international commitment to aid spending.
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
The article’s details about the aid cuts allow for the identification of several specific SDG targets that will be negatively affected.
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
- Target 3.7: By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes. This is relevant due to the mentioned cuts to “women’s health.”
- SDG 4: Quality Education
- Target 4.1: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education. This is directly implicated by the cuts to “children’s education” and the statement from the charity Street Child that their work helping children “get access to education in Sierra Leone, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo” will end.
- SDG 5: Gender Equality
- Target 5.6: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights. This target is connected to the cuts in funding for “women’s health” and “gender programming,” which Unicef warns will have a “devastating and unequal impact on children and women.”
- SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
- Target 6.2: By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations. The article directly mentions that “less [will be] spent on women’s health and water sanitation.”
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
- Target 17.2: Developed countries to implement fully their official development assistance commitments, including the commitment by many developed countries to achieve the target of 0.7 per cent of ODA/GNI to developing countries. The article is centered on the UK’s failure to meet this target, detailing the cut “from 0.5% of gross national income to 0.3%.”
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
The article provides both explicit and implicit indicators that can be used to measure the impact of the aid cuts on the identified targets.
- For Target 17.2:
- Indicator 17.2.1: Net official development assistance, total and to least developed countries, as a proportion of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee donors’ gross national income (GNI). The article explicitly provides the data for this indicator, stating the UK government will “slash foreign aid spending… from 0.5% of gross national income to 0.3%.”
- For Target 4.1:
- Implied Indicator: School enrollment and attendance rates. The article implies a negative change in this indicator through the statement from Street Child’s CEO: “So children who used to go to school will not go to school, and so, more children will be found roaming the streets.” This suggests that tracking the number of children out of school in affected regions would be a direct measure of impact.
- For Targets 3.7 and 5.6:
- Implied Indicators: Access to and funding for women’s health and gender programs. The article doesn’t give specific numbers but states that bilateral funding for “gender” and “health programmes will drop.” The “unequal impact on children and women” implies that gender-disaggregated health and social metrics would worsen.
- For Target 6.2:
- Implied Indicators: Access to water and sanitation facilities and incidence of waterborne diseases. The article implies a negative impact on these by stating there will be “less spent on… water sanitation with increased risks… of disease and death.” This suggests that progress on sanitation access will stall or reverse, and disease rates could be a measurable outcome.
4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
SDGs | Targets | Indicators Identified in Article |
---|---|---|
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | Target 3.7: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services. | Implied through cuts to “women’s health” and “increased risks… of disease and death.” |
SDG 4: Quality Education | Target 4.1: Ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education. | Implied through cuts to “children’s education” and the consequence that “children who used to go to school will not go to school.” |
SDG 5: Gender Equality | Target 5.6: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights. | Implied through cuts to “gender programming” and the “unequal impact on children and women.” |
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation | Target 6.2: Achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all. | Implied through the reduction in spending on “water sanitation.” |
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals | Target 17.2: Developed countries to implement fully their official development assistance (ODA) commitments. | Indicator 17.2.1: ODA as a proportion of GNI. The article explicitly states the cut from 0.5% to 0.3% of GNI. |
Source: bbc.com