The UK government has cut aid to Commonwealth nations from £546m in 2024-25 to £131m in 2028-29, the Guardian reports, despite warm remarks about the Commonwealth from King Charles and Prime Minister Andy Burnham this week at the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Antigua.
Of the projected £131m, £68m will go to Nigeria, leaving £63m for other countries. Sierra Leone will see aid fall from nearly £30m to £5m over the same period. Rwanda's aid will drop from nearly £30m to £5m. Tanzania's aid will fall from £60m to £5m. The Caribbean Development Team will have funding cut from more than £98m to £45m between 2025-26 and 2026-27.
At least 26 Commonwealth countries have also been cut off from applying to Darwin Initiative funds for nature protection, a funding stream worth about £40m annually.
Adrian Gahan, UK lead at the Campaign for Nature, said: "UK aid to Commonwealth countries has fallen dramatically in recent years, with further cuts on the horizon." He noted that King Charles attended the launch of the Commonwealth nature initiative this week. "Yet the UK government failed to make a financial contribution."
Jean McLean, Oxfam GB chief influencing officer, said: "The UK government has really dropped the ball when it comes to the aid budget at exactly the moment when conflict, humanitarian crises, hunger and climate breakdown are driving global need to record levels."
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office was approached for comment.