The UK’s reductions in foreign aid have weakened health and humanitarian systems in fragile countries at a time of rising need. Climate shocks are fuelling disease outbreaks and flooding clinics, while conflict and displacement drive malnutrition and insecurity. Evidence from earlier cuts shows that abrupt withdrawals cause clinics to close, medicines to run out and preventable illnesses to rise.
Concrete examples include South Sudan, where 2021 aid cuts left around 200 health facilities without support, and Bangladesh’s Rohingya camps, which faced food ration cuts, medicine shortages and a 27 per cent rise in severe acute malnutrition among children over a single year. MSF-supported feeding centres in Yemen reported bed occupancy up to 200 per cent in peak seasons, and paediatric intensive care in Afghanistan regularly operates beyond capacity.
Analysts warn that combined aid freezes and cuts risk undoing decades of progress on HIV, malaria, tuberculosis and maternal health. Repairing the damage requires more than restoring funds: a justice-led approach that gives affected communities a real voice, predictable and flexible locally led financing, and measures to address structural barriers such as unsustainable debt. Results UK finds the 16 countries most affected by food crises spend on average 1.9 times more on external debt repayments than on health; fairer debt restructuring, debt-for-climate-and-health swaps and stronger international tax cooperation could free resources for frontline services.
Katie Husselby is director of Action for Global Health. The piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Global desk and was originally published on SciDev.Net.
Difficult words
- fragile — easily damaged or likely to fail
- displacement — forced movement of people from their homes
- malnutrition — serious lack of necessary food or nutrients
- abrupt — sudden and unexpected in timing or change
- occupancy — number of people using a space or beds
- paediatric — relating to medical care of children
- predictable — able to be announced or expected beforehand
- debt — money owed by a person, government or organisation
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Which of the proposed responses (justice-led approach, predictable locally led financing, debt restructuring) do you think would have the biggest impact? Explain your reasons.
- How do high external debt repayments make it harder for countries to fund health and humanitarian services? Give examples from the text.
- What practical steps could donors and international organisations take to give affected communities a stronger voice in decisions about aid and services?
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