Czech government slashes foreign humanitarian aid in draft budget

The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs is planning a sharp reduction in spending on humanitarian aid sent abroad, according to a draft state budget.

While the previous government allocated 165 million Czech crowns (about €6.6 million) for humanitarian assistance, the current cabinet led by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has earmarked only 50 million crowns, Caliber.Az reports via Czech media. 

Foreign Minister Petr Macinka said the cut was driven by the need for budgetary savings, citing the strained state of public finances. He acknowledged that the reduced funding was not an ideal situation but argued that significant austerity measures were unavoidable.

Macinka attributed the current fiscal constraints to policies pursued by former finance minister Zbyněk Stanjura of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS).

Opposition parties have criticised the decision, warning that it could limit the country’s ability to respond to international crises.

In previous years, Czech humanitarian funds have been used for a range of emergency operations abroad, including financing helicopter deployments to combat wildfires in Spain and providing assistance to the Gaza Strip.

The humanitarian aid budget can also be used to support Ukraine. The government has already allocated 10 million crowns ($486,344) from this chapter to purchase electricity generators for Ukrainian civilians affected by freezing temperatures amid Russia’s invasion. As a result, the total amount remaining for other humanitarian assistance would fall to 40 million crowns ($1.9 million).

Macinka stressed that the government was facing a situation in which resources were extremely limited and that spending cuts were necessary across multiple areas of the budget.

By Sabina Mammadli