UK AID CUTS LEAVE VULNERABLE CHILDREN BEHIND
Press Statement, 11 June 2025
In response to today’s Spending Review announcement confirming the anticipated reduction in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) budget, World Vision UK expresses grave concern over the UK’s continued withdrawal from its long-standing commitment to the world’s most vulnerable – particularly children - whom the Government still claims to prioritise. By cutting Official Development Assistance (ODA) to just 0.3% of Gross National Income (GNI) by 2027, the UK is set to reach its lowest contribution in nearly two decades.
Now, as children worldwide face the intensifying impacts of conflict, hunger, climate shocks and displacement, further reductions represent not just a poor financial decision – but a moral failure.
“These cuts come at the worst possible time for children,” said Fola Komolafe MBE DL, CEO of World Vision UK. “When the UK turns its back on the world’s poorest children, it’s not just compassion that’s lost — it’s leadership. The FCDO still has a chance to change course. Placing children at the centre of aid decisions is not only a humanitarian imperative - it’s also a reflection of the values Britain has long championed.”
Even in times of constraint, children’s lives and future must remain non-negotiable. World Vision urges the FCDO to ring-fence funding for child-focused interventions and to ensure that children’s needs are prioritised in all decision-making processes. Research by Ernst & Young in 2023 confirmed that investing ODA in children yields long-term impact — every £1 invested delivers up to £10 in social and economic value, helping to build stronger, more resilient communities.
This is a defining moment for the UK’s global leadership. Rebuilding credibility on the world stage begins by standing with the children who need us most. We call on the Government to honour its commitment to restore aid to 0.5% of GNI and to publish a clear, time-bound roadmap for delivering that promise. The world’s children deserve it.
ENDS
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