Europe cuts humanitarian aid to Africa to fund support for Ukraine

European countries are reducing financial assistance to African states in healthcare, hunger relief, and poverty reduction in order to redirect funds to support Ukraine and strengthen their own defence.

In December, Sweden announced a 10 billion kronor (€815.5 m) cut in funding for Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Tanzania, and Bolivia, Caliber.Az reports via The Guardian.

Germany plans to nearly halve its 2026 humanitarian budget to €1.05bn, gradually reducing its presence in Latin America and Asia to focus on European crises.

The UK, Norway, and France have also announced aid reductions. Ralf Südhoff, director of the Berlin-based Centre for Humanitarian Action, noted that aid is becoming more “transactional” and will be directed where donors see direct benefits.

Mozambique is among the countries hit hardest by Sweden’s aid cuts. The nation has been battered by cyclones, droughts, and a renewed conflict in Cabo Delgado province, which has displaced over 300,000 people since July.

This year, Mozambique has received just $31 m of the $222 m needed, forcing food distributions to occur only every two months and covering just 39% of the population’s caloric needs, according to the UN.

Sweden’s reduction in development funding will directly impact programs that provide healthcare, education, and rehabilitation for those displaced by the Cabo Delgado insurgency, ongoing since 2017.

All four African countries excluded from Sweden’s development aid have also faced cuts to HIV/AIDS services, with experts warning that years of progress in combating the disease are now at risk.

Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania are among six countries—alongside Nigeria, South Africa, and Zambia—likely to face the biggest impact from cuts to HIV/AIDS health programs, according to analysis by the Boston Consulting Group.

By Jeyhun Aghazada