Impact of UK aid cuts and how to help

Contact your MP | Donate | Pray

There has never been a more perilous time to be a child, with record numbers of children facing conflict, hunger, displacement, and the devastating effects of climate change—all at once.

We believe the UK Government's decision this February to slash foreign aid is a grave misstep - it further threatens the lives of children in the world's most vulnerable places and it threatens critical programmes in global health, food supply, girls' rights and poverty that impact us all.

With government ministers making decisions how and where these cuts will be implemented, we have a critical opportunity to reverse this course and put children at the heart of this decision making. We must act now as children's futures are at stake.

We're asking for the UK to be a leader on these important global issues, to demonstrate our humanitarian values, and not to shy away.

Can you help by raising your voice on this issue, showing your support and praying for change? 

Raise your voice - contact your MP

Your local MP was elected to represent you and the issues you care about in the House of Commons.

Your voice can make a difference.

You can ask your MP to speak up on behalf of the world’s most vulnerable children so that their needs are taken into account in the corridors of power. In doing so, you will help us create powerful champions in the UK for the world’s children.

The more letters an MP receives, the more likely they are to act.

How to write to your MP

Find out who your MP is and their contact details here: findyourmp.parliament.uk 
Always write to your own constituency MP and include your postcode in the email.
Ask the MP for a reply, and if you receive one please let us know at: PoGo@worldvision.org.uk

Some points you could raise – what’s happening and why does it matter?

On 25 February, the Prime Minister announced that UK’s international aid budget would be cut to pay for increases in defence spending. This is the lowest level aid has been for 25 years, despite growing needs globally.
This has been followed up by the Spring Statement including the shock news that these cuts will start immediately, rather than waiting until 2027. This will mean a £0.5bn cut this year, a huge unexpected blow putting existing programmes at risk straight away.
The UK aid cuts, compounded by cuts already made by other leading aid contributors, will have catastrophic consequences for children worldwide:
- 37.9 million fewer children will be immunised against deadly diseases like measles and polio (UNICEF)
- 200,000 children will die as a result of vaccine funding cuts (The Guardian)
- 292,000 fewer children will receive meals and nutrition support (One.org)

These figures aren’t just numbers, but real children whose lives are at risk.

International development and national security are two sides of the same coin. Stable, prosperous countries are less likely to experience conflicts that can spread and create global security threats. Reducing poverty, improving living conditions, reducing triggers for forced migration and combating disease all reduce security and conflict risks.
All children have the right to grow up on a peaceful, equitable and habitable planet.
Call that the UK Government put all of the world’s children at the heart of their decision-making, recognising that it is children who will bear the brunt of these decisions.

Moreover:

Call that the UK Government commit to find a way back to the levels of foreign aid (0.7% GNI) laid out in UK law as quickly as possible - this must be a temporary measure and not the norm.

Show your support - donate

If you want to support our mission and make a difference in these unprecedented circumstances, your generous donations can have a significant impact and help us continue our work.

How your donation helps:

Putting children first: Your support ensures that the most vulnerable children receive essential food and medical supplies, safeguarding their health and well-being.

Creating long-lasting change: Donations fund educational programmes, providing children with the tools and opportunities they need to build a brighter future.

Building safe environments: Your contributions help create safe spaces for children affected by conflict and climate change, offering them stability and hope.

By donating, you are directly contributing to the well-being and future of children who need it the most. Together, we can make a lasting difference.

Donate

Pray with us

We worship a God who is above all human authority and yet cares for the very least in this world. A God who can move seas and mountains, and will also sit alongside those who hurt and mourn.

In these times of daunting change we can feel weak or helpless, but we know that we can draw on God’s strength, and that as we cry out to him he will hear our prayer.

Please pray for children whose lives are already vulnerable, that they would be protected from further harm
Please pray for world leaders that they will act with compassion
Please pray for stability and peace amongst the nations

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy."
Proverbs 31:8-9