FCDO Equality Impact Assessment on the impact of the UK aid cuts for 23/24 – Bond reaction

Today, Tuesday 2 August, the International Development Committee has published the FCDO Equality Impact Assessment which was provided to Ministers earlier this year to inform their decisions on where significant cuts to the Official Development Assistance budget for 2023-24 would fall.

The FCDO’s bilateral country allocations for the 2023/24 financial year were subject to ‘ODA savings’ as a result of the decision to reduce the UK’s ODA spending from 0.7% to 0.5% of Gross National Income. The Equality Impact Assessment sets out what this means in reality.

In reaction to the assessment, Gideon Rabinowitz, Policy and Advocacy Director at Bond, the UK network for INGOs, said:

It is firstly important to say that we welcome the report, which comes after years of the government resisting any sharing of these assessments. This report illustrates the devastating impact of continued cuts to the UK aid budget and the urgency of restoring spending so we can meet our international obligations. Though the allocations of some vulnerable countries have increased we are still short of the funding needed to reverse the damage of multiple rounds of cuts, and the most marginalised communities continue to bear the brunt of these politically driven cuts.

ENDS.

Notes for editors

1. Read Bond’s reaction and in depth analysis of the FCDO Annual Report & Accounts for 2022–23.

1. Bond is the UK network for organisations working in international development. Bond unites and supports a diverse network of nearly 400 civil society organisations from across the UK, and allies to help eradicate global poverty, inequality and injustice. 

1. For further information or interviews please contact Jess Salter at [email protected] or call 07392972411.