Policy Updates

On November 11, 2025, Sweden announced SEK100 million (US$11 million) to WFP and UNHCR in Sudan and neighboring countries to address the civil war-driven humanitarian crisis.

Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa announced the funding would support food to alleviate famine and protection for the displaced. Joar Forssell, foreign policy spokesperson for the Liberal Party, stated the increased support would help save lives and alleviate suffering of vulnerable people. Gudrun Brunegård, aid policy spokesperson for the Christian Democrats, described the situation as the largest humanitarian crisis the world had ever seen.

Sweden has allocated SEK60 million (US$7 million) to WFP operations in Sudan for 2025, channeled through core support, which boosts life-saving food aid distribution in Darfur and other famine-afflicted parts of Sudan. Additionally, Sweden provided SEK40 million (US$4 million) to UNHCR operations in Sudan and neighboring countries for 2025, also channeled through Sweden's core support to UNHCR.

The UK pledged GBP850 million (US$1.1 billion) to the Global Fund on November 11, 2025, ahead of the 8^th replenishment summit on November 21, 2025, representing a 15% reduction from the UK's previous GBP1 billion (US$1.3 billion) pledge in 2022.

The UK will co-host the Global Fund's 8^th replenishment summit with South Africa on November 21, 2025. The pledge marked the first time in Global Fund history that a host country reduced its contribution.

Chair of the International Development Committee Sarah Champion expressed disappointment with the GBP150 million (US$197 million) reduction. Champion stated that reducing the UK's commitment was short-sighted and risked undermining the UK's reputation as a global health leader. Champion noted that cuts of this scale would have real impact and result in avoidable harm, urging ministers to take seriously the commitments the UK makes to vulnerable populations.

The Tropical Forest Forever Facility secured endorsements from 53 countries and financial commitments exceeding US$5.5 billion launched at the COP30 Leader's Summit in Belém, Brazil, on November 6, 2025, hosted by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

The TFFF Launch Declaration received endorsements from 53 countries, including 19 potential sovereign investors. A total of 34 tropical forest countries endorsed the declaration, representing over 90% of tropical forests in developing countries, including Indonesia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and China.

Countries announced the following financial commitments:

• Norway committed US$3 billion over the next 10 years, subject to specific conditions;
• Brazil and Indonesia reconfirmed commitments of US$1 billion each;
• France indicated that, under specific conditions, it would consider committing EUR500 million (US$578 million) until 2030;
• Portugal committed US$1 million;
• Netherlands committed US$5 million for the secretariat; and
• Germany fully endorsed the TFFF, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz scheduled to discuss financial commitments with President Lula.

The TFFF is a shift in global efforts to protect and restore tropical forests. The facility will address a market failure while recognizing the value of and paying for ecosystem services provided by tropical forests to the world.

Australia announced AUD10 million (US$6.5 million) in humanitarian assistance to Sudan on November 5, 2025 to provide essential services amidst the ongoing conflict that has displaced millions.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong and International Development Minister Anne Aly announced the funding would be directed through UN and NGO partners to provide food, clean water, shelter, and support to victim survivors of gender-based violence. The conflict has displaced approximately 11 million people internally and forced another three million people to flee to neighboring countries. Australia also welcomed the release of US$20 million from the CERF to respond to urgent humanitarian needs in Sudan. A longstanding donor, Australia contributes AUD11 million (US$7 million) annually to CERF.

Wong addressed reports of mass killings, sexual violence, and deliberate attacks on civilians in El Fasher and called for an immediate end to violence by the Rapid Support Forces and unhindered humanitarian access. Meanwhile, Aly called for immediate and permanent cessation of hostilities and an urgent return to negotiations. Australia has provided over AUD60 million (US$39 million) to the crisis in Sudan since 2023, with a particular focus on women and girls.

Canada announced CAD7 million (US$5.0 million) in humanitarian assistance on October 30, 2025, to support emergency relief efforts in the Caribbean region following Hurricane Melissa, including support for humanitarian partners in the region.

Canada allocated CAD5 million (US$3.5 million) of the total to humanitarian partners to provide emergency food, water, sanitation, health services, protection, and logistics services. The government earmarked CAD2 million (US$1.4 million) to the World Food Programme's Caribbean Regional Logistics Hub in Barbados, which dispatched food and relief items to Jamaica. Canada has also offered to deploy relief supplies from its emergency stockpiles via the Red Cross Movement if requested.

Secretary of State for International Development Randeep Sarai stated that Canada's initial response focused on addressing immediate and urgent needs in the Caribbean region, while additional support opportunities are being explored. Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand emphasized that Canada continues to stand with the Caribbean in response to the disaster, focusing not only on immediate relief but also the opportunity to rebuild stronger.

Canada's government announced CAD2.7 billion (US$1.9 billion) in cuts to ODA over four years on November 4, 2025 as part of Prime Minister Mark Carney's first budget, reducing ODA spending to pre-pandemic levels.

The budget outlined reductions to global health programming, in which Canada had increased development and humanitarian spending during the pandemic to restore stalled progress on fighting major illnesses such as AIDS and tuberculosis as governments turned their attention to COVID-19. The International Development Research Centre will also see cuts starting with CAD11 million (US$7.8 million) in the fiscal year beginning in April 2026, rising to CAD24 million (US$17 million) annually by the end of five years. The Canadian government had previously allocated CAD159 million (US$113 million) to IDRC for the current fiscal year.

Under the banner of trade finance, the government repurposed CAD138 million (US$98 million) in current funding for Global Affairs Canada, primarily from an allocation the government used for funding announcements at global summits, to rebuild Ukraine's critical infrastructure. The government stated Ukraine's reconstruction could boost Canadian industry across nearly every sector. Canada has planned to cut funding to some international financial institutions while finding ways to leverage Canada's contributions further.

Spain's Council of Ministers approved EUR46 million (US$53 million) on November 4, 2025, for the Emergency Coalition for Palestine through the Palestinian-European Mechanism for Management of Socio-Economic Aid, bringing Spain's total 2025 contribution to EUR50 million (US$58 million.)

The additional contribution added to EUR4 million (US$5 million) already disbursed by AECID. The MAEC described the EUR46 million (US$53 million) contribution as one of Spain's largest voluntary contributions ever made to a single institution.

Spain, together with Saudi Arabia, Norway, and France, launched the Emergency Coalition for Palestine on September 26, 2025. The coalition aims to ease pressure on the Palestinian Authority regarding payment of salaries and pensions for civil servants, hospitals in East Jerusalem, and support for vulnerable Palestinian families. The initiative responded to the Israeli government's freeze of tax revenue transfers exceeding US$3 billion to the Palestinian Authority.

The MAEC stated that a strong Palestinian Authority represented the only alternative for governance in Gaza and the West Bank, and the only guarantee for achieving stability, peace, and security for the region.

The EU released EUR21.5 million (US$25 million) in humanitarian aid on November 3, 2026, to address the crisis in Venezuela and respond to Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean, with Commissioner for Preparedness, Crisis Management and Equality Hadja Lahbib emphasizing support for vulnerable populations facing food insecurity, gang violence, and natural disasters.

The EU allocated EUR14.5 million (US$17 million) to address the Venezuela crisis, including spillover effects in neighboring countries such as Colombia. Priority areas included protection, healthcare, and nutrition assistance for Venezuelans inside and outside the country.

Furthermore, EUR5 million (US$6 million) has been allocated for the emergency response to Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti. EU humanitarian partners have delivered drinking water, sanitation items, and emergency shelter, while the EU prepared humanitarian airbridge flights and deployed relief stocks through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Also channeled through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and Germany have donated relief supplies including shelters, water and sanitation equipment, protective equipment, and energy support.

The EU earmarked EUR2 million (US$2 million) for people affected by rising gang violence in Haiti, where displaced populations have reached record levels. The earmarked funding has supported food assistance and other forms of support to displaced communities.

The allocation added to EUR149 million (US$170 million) the EU provided to Latin America and the Caribbean in 2025, which speaks to the wider ambition of the upcoming EU-CELAC Summit.

Spain has activated humanitarian response through AECID, mobilizing resources to address the impact of Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm that formed on October 25 and affected an estimated 1.9 million people in the Caribbean.

Hurricane Melissa caused torrential rains, flooding, and landslides across Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti. As part of their response, AECID deployed emergency medical teams in coordination with PAHO, including personnel from Madrid's local emergency services.

In Cuba, AECID has mobilized EUR500,000 (US$439,000) to provide shelter, health services, and drinking water following an appeal from IFRC and has sent sent 36 tons of essential supplies worth EUR144,000 (US$126,000), including kitchen and tool kits. In addition to these efforts, emergency agreements with various Spanish NGOs working on the ground have been activated in order to provide a comprehensive response.

Spain is also a donor to OCHA's Central Emergency Response Fund, contributing EUR4.5 million (US$3.9 million) in 2025, which has since allocated US$8 million for Haiti and Cuba. Meanwhile,the IFRC Disaster Response Emergency Fund, which Spain contributed EUR3 million (US$3.4 million) in 2025, allocated CHF80,000 (US$98,000) to the Jamaican Red Cross to support preparedness and early response.

On November 1, 2025, at the 21st Manama Dialogue Conference in Bahrain, UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper announced GBP5 million (US$6.5 million) in urgent humanitarian funding for Sudan, focusing on El-Fasher, where 260,000 people have been cut off from aid following a surge in violence.

Cooper condemned the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, stating that the conflict had been neglected while suffering has increased, and that women and children are bearing the largest brunt of the crisis. The funding will support critical humanitarian services, including emergency food supplies and medical care, while GBP2 million (US$2.6 million) of the total has been allocated to bolster responses supporting survivors of rape and sexual violence.

This funding comes on top of the GBP120 million (US$156 million) the UK has already distributed to Sudan in 2025. The existing funding has supported the delivery of life-saving food and health assistance, as well as support to those facing sexual violence through partners such as the ICRC, Sudan Humanitarian Fund, and Cash Consortium Sudan.