Leading humanitarian organizations are expressing serious concerns over planned cuts to Germany’s international aid budget, warning of devastating consequences for vulnerable populations worldwide.
Dagmar Pruin, President of the Protestant development aid organization “Brot für die Welt” stated in an interview with the “Rheinische Post” that the proposed reductions represent a “politically shortsighted” approach that will ultimately cost lives. She urged the German government to prioritize solidarity, humanity and foresight, emphasizing that diminishing funding for international cooperation risks undermining Germany’s long-term interests. Pruin underscored the urgent need to uphold Germany’s commitments, rejecting the notion of allowing widespread hunger, with an estimated 800 million people affected globally, to persist.
Oliver Müller, Head of the Catholic aid organization Caritas international, echoed these sentiments, describing the cuts as “in no way appropriate” given the current global landscape. He noted that over 300 million people are currently dependent on humanitarian aid due to escalating conflicts and that existing resources were already insufficient to address the scale of need. The potential for widespread staff reductions within the humanitarian sector, globally, compounds the problem.
Florian Westphal, Managing Director of “Save the Children” in Germany, highlighted the disproportionate impact the cuts will have on children in conflict and disaster-affected areas. He argued that, given the withdrawal of funding from other donor nations, the German Bundestag has a crucial responsibility to ensure aid efforts remain globally focused and values-driven. Westphal warned that poverty, hunger and despair fuel instability and violence and that investments in a more equitable future are essential for global security. He specifically pointed to the immediate cessation of essential health and nutrition programs in countries like Sudan, Syria and Somalia, potentially costing lives and reversing hard-won progress.
The German Bundestag is scheduled to vote on the budgets for the Foreign Office and the development ministry on Wednesday and these organizations are hoping to influence the final decisions with their urgent calls for reconsideration.