Scottish humanitarian charity hits out at “cruel and devastating” cuts

Aid cuts, brought in by the UK Government exactly a year ago have been labelled “cruel and devastating” by a leading Scottish charity. 

SCIAF has hit out at a decision in 2025 to cut the UK’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget from 0.5% to 0.3% by 2027 – set to be the steepest reduction of any G7 country. 

SCIAF’s CEO Lorraine Currie said:

“Quite simply these cuts hit the most vulnerable people in the world the hardest. They are cruel and devastating. 

“Much needed aid programmes in some of the world’s most fragile and conflict-affected countries across Africa and Asia are at risk of closure. People will die as a result. 

“These cuts were made without warning, preparation or consultation with organisations like SCIAF – charity experts who have daily dealings with overseas partners who know the reality on the ground. These cuts mean fewer families in conflict zones able to access shelter, food and water, and fewer children able to go to school.” 

UK aid represents a tiny proportion of public spending yet delivers significant return on investment by preventing diseases before they become pandemics, reducing conflict and crises that force people to flee, and strengthening global stability to protect people in the UK and around the world.  

Lorraine added:

“The UK government’s own Equalities Impact Assessment of the 2025/26 cuts confirms that women and girls, people with disabilities, children and people affected by conflict, will be hardest hit. This decision will arguably have the most damaging global consequences of any this UK government will make.

“With a significantly reduced UK aid budget, the government must step up its ambitions around global financial sector reform and help build a fairer economic system that enables lower income countries to invest in their own sustainable development. The UK’s upcoming G20 leadership offers a critical window to advance this agenda, rebuild damaged partnerships, and re-establish the UK as a trusted global partner.”

SCIAF, together with a number of different UK charities is urging the UK Government to reverse the cuts. It has signed up to a letter from BOND – the UK network for organisations working in international development.  BOND includes over 330 organisations, ranging from small specialist charities to large international NGOs with a worldwide presence. 

You can read the full letter here: BOND Statement