The Guardian view on aid cuts: Britain championed development funding – its meanness is shortsighted

‘The UK’s decision to slash aid by 40% is part of a global trend: G7 spending will be 28% lower this year than in 2024.’ Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA

Progress is possible. Over two decades, global child mortality plummeted. There were many reasons for a 39% reduction in deaths in lower and middle income countries between 2001 and 2021, but a significant one was overseas development aid, which supported everything from sanitation to vaccination programmes to food security.

That shift has slowed, and – like similar advances – is likely to reverse if aid budgets continue to be slashed. Researchers warned last month that continuing cuts could result in more than 22 million avoidable deaths in the next five years, with a quarter of those among children under five.