Policy Updates

The UK government announced a fundamental reform of its development assistance approach, prioritizing fragile and conflict-affected states, women and girls, global health, and climate action, while reducing its ODA budget to 0.3% of GNI by 2027.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper outlined the UK's new three-year development assistance framework on March 19, 2026, shifting focus from donor to investor and emphasizing partnership over paternalism. By 2028-2029, 70% of all geographic support will be allocated to the most fragile and conflict-affected states, with funding protected for Sudan, Palestine, Ukraine, and Lebanon. Annual ringfenced funding of GBP24 million (US$32 million) will address underlying causes of irregular migration.

At least 90% of FCDO aid programs will integrate gender equality by 2030, with central spending on preventing violence against women and girls protected at 2025-2026 levels. The UK reaffirmed support to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the Global Fund. GBP6 billion (US$8 billion) will be invested as International Climate Finance, bolstered by GBP6.7 billion (US$8.9 billion) in climate and nature-positive investments. Core funding to Education Cannot Wait will match the previous pledge of GBP80 million (US$106 million).

The UK government has announced the closure of the GHWP, a health workforce development initiative operating in six African countries, citing ODA budget cuts.

The FCDO confirmed the GHWP would close at the end of March 2026. The programme supported healthcare staff development and training in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Malawi, and Somaliland, and had operated in various iterations since 2008. The current three-year contract had previously been expected to be renewed.

The closure followed the Labour government's 2025 decision to reduce ODA to fund increased military spending, following an earlier cut under Boris Johnson's government. Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for FCDO Chris Elmore stated that the government would continue to support countries in building resilient health systems and was working to ensure the sustainability of projects beyond the programme's closure.

Ben Simms, CEO of Global Health Partnerships, which ran the programme, warned that the UK risked ceding ground in global health that would be difficult to recover.

UK Minister of State for International Development and Africa Jenny Chapman visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo on March 6, 2026, pledging more than GBP13 million (US$17 million) for peace, humanitarian assistance, and support for survivors of sexual violence, while announcing new investments in clean energy, business finance, and sustainable growth.

Chapman visited Kinshasa and Beni in eastern DRC, meeting President Félix Tshisekedi, Vice Foreign Minister Ayenganagato Noella Ayenganagato, UN peacekeepers, health and humanitarian partners, women peacebuilders, and civil society organizations. During the visit, GBP7 million (US$10 million) was announced in humanitarian support for communities affected by conflict in eastern DRC and the wider region, including:

• GBP3 million (US$4 million) for clean water, hygiene, and protection services
• GBP2 million (US$3 million) for the International Committee of the Red Cross providing emergency healthcare and support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence
• GBP2 million (US$3 million) for the World Food Programme providing emergency food and nutrition assistance for up to 132,000 refugees in Burundi.

An additional GBP6 million (US$8 million) was announced for UNFPA to provide sexual and reproductive health services and support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through a hospital in the northeastern DRC.

Finally, the UK – DRC Chamber of Commerce was launched during the visit, and a US$25 million (GBP19 million) British International Investment loan was announced to Rawban, the largest commercial bank in the DRC to expand access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises. Chapman also confirmed new UK-backed investments in clean energy, including support for Moyi Power to deliver electricity to up to 700,000 people in northern DRC.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on February 24, 2026, that the UK will provide GBP226 million (US$305 million) in new military, humanitarian, and reconstruction support for Ukraine on the fourth anniversary of Russia's invasion.

Starmer convened a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing with French President Emmanuel Macron, following their January declaration with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the UK's intent to deploy British troops to Ukraine once peace was secured. A 70-person headquarters for the Multinational Force for Ukraine was operational, backed by GBP200 million (US$270 million) in funding.

The new support package includes:

• GBP20 million (US$27 million) for emergency energy support to protect and repair the energy grid, bringing total UK energy support for Ukraine to GBP490 million (US$662 million).
• GBP6 million (US$8 million) for humanitarian assistance to frontline communities targeting 4.1 million people
• Medical mentoring by British military surgeons, nurses, and physiotherapists for Ukrainian clinicians treating battlefield injuries
• Helicopter instructor training for Ukrainian pilots at a UK air base.

On Decembr 2, 2025, donors pledged US$1.2 billion at the annual UNHCR Pledging Conference in Geneva for 2026 operations, slightly above the 2025 pledge and covering nearly 18% of UNHCR's projected funding needs.

UNHCR's National Partners committed an additional US$350 million from private sector fundraising, bringing total pledges to US$1.5 billion. Several governments confirmed multi-year contributions extending into 2027 and beyond to strengthen UNHCR's long-term planning.

UNHCR Comissioner Filippo Grandi stated that early and flexible funding provided a lifeline to respond quickly to new emergencies and deliver solutions in neglected crises. Top government contributors included Denmark, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, and Norway, with substantially increased contributions from Ireland, Luxembourg, and Iceland. The European Union confirmed significant funding already committed for 2026, while Austria and Spain joined the group of governments pledging support to UNHCR.

Unearmarked funding pledged dropped to 17% of total pledges, nearly half of 2023 levels, while earmarked funding for specific countries and activities increased. Norway, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, and Ireland pledged the largest amounts of unearmarked funding.

On November 21, 2025The Global Fund held its Eighth Replenishment Summit, in Johannesburg, South Africa, co-hosted by the governments of South Africa and the UK on the margins of the G20 Leaders' Summit, securing US$11.3 billion in pledges to sustain the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

Partners from more than 30 countries pledged support to save lives and strengthen systems for health, marking the first replenishment held on African soil. The summit demonstrated global solidarity despite fiscal tightening, conflict, and global uncertainty, though total pledges fell short of the ambitious target set in the Investment Case and several donors had yet to confirm their pledges.

The US, the Global Fund's largest donor, committed US$4.6 billion. The UK pledged GBP850 million (US$1.1 billion), while Germany confirmed EUR1 billion (US$1.2 billion) and Canada pledged CAD1.02 billion (US$723 million). France noted that its support remained unchanged. Spain increased its pledge to EUR145 million (US$167 million), Italy pledged EUR150 million (US$173 million), the Netherlands contributed EUR146 million (US$169 million), and additional pledges came from many other donors. South Africa committed US$37 million, including US$10 million from the private sector. African countries made solidarity commitments totaling US$52 million. G20 member states reached US$9 billion in commitments.

Within the private sector, the Gates Foundation pledged US$912 million, the Children's Investment Fund Foundation pledged US$135 million, and (RED) committed US$75 million. Overall, private sector support reached US$1.3 billion.

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.

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.

Publish What You Fund released the report "Progress and Gaps: Transparency of UK Aid Beyond FCDO" report on October 23, 2025 2025, finding that the Home Office was the only UK government department to decrease transparency of ODA spending since 2020, while eight other departments increased or maintained transparency and published 500 additional activities valued at GBP468 million (US$621 million) to the International Aid Transparency Initiative Standard during the review process.

The review, commissioned by the UK government, evaluated transparency of ODA spending by government departments beyond the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Eight departments increased or maintained transparency levels compared to the previous 2020 review.

The Integrated Security Fund and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published to IATI for the first time. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs expanded published results data, while the Department of Health and Social Care sustained strong output. The Home Office published less information than in 2020 and failed to update current activities.

By the review's end, most departments published over 95% of their 2024 ODA transactions, except the Home Office, Integrated Security Fund, and Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. The review noted that only 4% of ODA was published to IATI in 2023, demonstrating that transparency requires long-term attention.

On September 26, 2025, at a meeting of the AHLC, Norway and 11 other countries launched the Emergency Coalition for the Financial Sustainability of the PA, with Norway contributing NOK40 million (US$4 million) to a crisis package.

The coalition, which also includes Belgium, Denmark, France, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK, was established to stabilize the PA’s finances and preserve its ability to govern. The launch took place during an AHLC meeting in New York chaired by Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide, with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa attending virtually. The coalition demanded that Israel immediately release all Palestinian clearance revenues, which constitute over 60% of the revenue the PA needs.

The crisis package aims to support essential services like hospitals and schools. Norway’s contribution is in addition to NOK200 million (US$20 million) in budget support transferred earlier in 2025. The coalition will also promote a sustainable and coordinated approach with IFIs to support reforms and ensure accountability, affirming the effort as an investment in regional peace and the two-state solution.