• FCDO’s Annual Report and Accounts, published today, lays bare bilateral aid cuts to Africa planned for the next three years

• Somalia (49% cut worth £67 million per year), Ethiopia (63% cut / £134 million), Uganda (59% cut / £26 million) and South Sudan (46% cut / £62 million) all face significant cuts by 2028-29

• The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) will receive £34 million less this year in bilateral aid (29% cut), despite battling the deadliest Ebola outbreak for a decade

• A host of countries – including Malawi, Rwanda, Mozambique, Iraq and Nepal – will have their bilateral aid virtually ended, reduced to an ‘influencing budget’ of just £5 million per year

• UK bilateral aid to Africa overall is set to fall by £733 million (47%) between 2024-25 and 2026-27 alone, and £875 million (56%) by 2028-29 – the largest cut facing any region

• When UK contributions to multilateral bodies are included, flows to Africa are still cut by an estimated 26%, in line with the overall reduction in UK aid

• The ONE Campaign urges incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham to reverse Keir Starmer’s “devastating” cuts and restore UK leadership before hosting next year’s G20

LONDON – July 16, 2026 – The Democratic Republic of Congo’s bilateral aid will be cut by £34 million – roughly a third – this year compared to 2024-25, despite the country facing one of the worst Ebola outbreaks ever recorded. 

Today’s FCDO Annual Report and Accounts also show bilateral aid to Somalia, Ethiopia, South Sudan and other disadvantaged countries will also be slashed over the next three years.

UK bilateral aid to Africa this year will fall by £733 million, or 47%, compared to 2024-25, the last year before Keir Starmer’s government decided to reduce the total aid budget by 40%, or roughly £6 billion per year.

Left on its current trajectory, the cut will reach £875 million by 2028-29 – a 56% reduction on 2024-25 levels, the largest cut to bilateral aid facing any region.

The deep bilateral cut for Africa is partly offset by the UK’s contributions to multilateral initiatives. However, even when these are included, FCDO total aid to Sub-Saharan Africa will still fall by an estimated 26% in the next three years. 

Today’s news comes as the number of confirmed Ebola cases in the current outbreak, mostly affecting the DRC, had exceeded 2,000, accounting for 754 deaths, as of July 15. The disease has spread across five provinces and into Uganda. 

The UK announced up to £20 million in emergency Ebola support in May – but the government’s figures show the DRC’s wider bilateral aid programme will be reduced to largely focus on humanitarian emergencies only.

The ONE Campaign argues the shift away from long-term investment in infrastructure and economic development is precisely the kind of decision that leaves countries less able to detect and contain outbreaks of deadly diseases.

A host of countries – including Malawi, Rwanda, Mozambique, Iraq and Nepal – will have their bilateral aid virtually ended, reduced to an ‘influencing budget’ of £5 million per year.

Today’s figures also show that the allocation for humanitarian aid, which includes funds for conflict response, food security and resilience, will be cut by £82 million this year. That represents a 23% cut on 2024-25.

Adrian Lovett, UK Executive Director of the ONE Campaign, said:

“Africa has not been spared from Keir Starmer’s devastating aid cuts. Today’s report is further evidence of a truly damaging period for the world’s most vulnerable people and for Britain’s reputation around the world. While the extra short-term funding to combat the Ebola crisis in the DRC is vital, cutting programmes that train doctors and nurses, build resilient health systems, and support thriving economies across the world isn’t just short-sighted – it’s dangerous.

“A new Prime Minister has a chance to turn the page. We urge Andy Burnham, often dubbed the ‘King of the North’, not to forget the Global South. He has built his career on standing up for communities that felt left behind – he now has the chance to apply those same principles on the world stage, reversing the decline in Britain’s standing as a development leader. 

“As Prime Minister, he can lead a new era of modern international cooperation that ensures children and young people survive and thrive, and brings greater security and prosperity for us here in Britain, too.”

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Notes to Editors

• Figures for 2024-25 outturn and the 2025-26 plan are drawn from the FCDO Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25, Annex A (published July 2025)

• Figures for 2026/27–2028/29 are drawn from FCDO’s Annual Report and Accounts 2025-26, Annex A (published July 2026)

• Ebola case and death figures are sourced from WHO and UN OCHA reporting as of 13–14 July 2026

• The cost of housing asylum seekers in UK hotels – running at roughly £2 billion a year – is taken from the budget for international aid. It means that by 2027-28, aid spending on overseas programmes is set to reach its lowest-ever point since records began in 1970, at just 0.24% of GNI

• The ONE Campaign estimates that cuts to vaccine programmes alone (Gavi and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria) could contribute to more than 600,000 avoidable deaths worldwide in the coming years. 

About ONE:

ONE is a global, nonpartisan organisation advocating for the investments needed to create economic opportunities and healthier lives in Africa. Since 2004, we have helped secure more than $1 trillion in new investments to build a safer, more prosperous world. Our trusted advocacy combines hard-hitting data, grassroots activism and political engagement to influence decision-makers and drive lasting change. Learn more at ONE.org