The United Kingdom Intends to Reduce Its Aid to Syria by More Than Half by 2028

The United Kingdom Intends to Reduce Its Aid to Syria by More Than Half by 2028

The United Kingdom plans to cut its bilateral aid to Syria by up to 55% compared to pre-reduction levels, as part of a broader plan to restructure British spending on foreign aid and increase allocations for defense and security. British reports indicate that Syria will be among the fragile and conflict-affected countries most impacted by the reductions, with significant decreases in bilateral aid expected between the 2024-2025 financial year and the 2028-2029 financial year.

According to published data, Britain’s total spending on bilateral aid programs is expected to decline from approximately £3.14 billion in 2024-2025 to around £1.79 billion by 2028-2029, marking an estimated reduction of about 43%. This move follows the British government’s decision to reduce development aid spending from around 0.5% to 0.3% of gross national income by 2027-2028, as part of a strategy to allocate additional resources for increased defense spending.

Estimates from the British aid organization network, Bond, indicate that bilateral funding for Syria is expected to decrease from roughly £104 million in the 2025-2026 financial year to about £67.9 million annually starting from 2026-2027, reflecting the scale of the anticipated reduction compared to pre-cut levels.

These reductions are especially significant given the reliance of a number of humanitarian and development programs in Syria on British funding, including humanitarian response, early recovery, support for livelihoods, and local communities. The British government had allocated more than 55% of its aid budget for Syria in 2024-2025 to projects focused on early recovery and livelihoods, providing long-term opportunities for Syrians.

The anticipated cuts are not limited to Syria, as they also affect other countries impacted by conflicts and crises. There is an expected reduction in bilateral aid to Somalia by 49%, South Sudan by 46%, Sierra Leone by 83%, and Afghanistan by 39%, compared to the 2024-2025 financial year levels.