The German Red Cross (DRK) sharply criticises the federal government’s cuts to humanitarian aid. “I am truly astonished; it is short‑sighted and wrong, and it clearly breaks the coalition agreement” President Hermann Gröhe told the “Tagesspiegel”. The coalition contract had called for a strengthening of aid, yet around one billion euros were cut after aid in 2024 amounted to roughly two billion euros.
Gröhe sees a link to public attitudes amid multiple crises. “We risk becoming desensitised” he said. “It saddens me when I hear people here ask, ‘What about the Sudan? Don’t help your own country first.'” The DRK’s work, he added, mainly focuses on German citizens-from kindergartens and ambulance services to nursing homes-but also on those worldwide.
“We must not forget the 300 million people-often children-whose survival depends on humanitarian assistance” Gröhe urged. He cautioned that Germany cannot singlehandedly shoulder all global suffering, yet the values enshrined in the constitution oblige Germany to contribute in proportion to its economic strength.