The global development system is not merely under strain; it is approaching a state of structural collapse. Under the Trump administration, the US has cut more than 80% of its international aid funding. The UK has slashed its aid budget by 40% while Belgium and France have each cut theirs by 25%. Such drastic reductions signal a decisive political retreat from the idea that wealthy states are obligated to help the world's most vulnerable.

The human cost of this abandonment is immense. As wealthy countries scale back funding for their bilateral aid agencies, multilateral institutions and international and local NGOs, the delivery of essential services to marginalised communities is rapidly eroding. At the same time, climate shocks, displacement and lingering conflicts are multiplying humanitarian needs. Progress toward the UN SDGs, now only seven years away from their 2030 deadline, is dangerously off-track for literacy, health and poverty reduction.

This crisis is not only international. National governments in........

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