budget
Aid organizations warn federal government against cuts
Temporary accommodation for flood victims in Sindh province: The Ministry of Development has around 11.2 billion euros at its disposal in the 2024 financial year. In the future, there could be less money. Photo
© Pervez Masih/AP/dpa
Aid organizations are taking a critical look at the German government’s Africa policy. They are calling for the goals to be sharpened and for cuts to be avoided.
The aid organizations Welthungerhilfe and terre des hommes have The Federal Government is called upon to review its development policy in Africa.
When presenting their annual “Compass” report on development policy, they also recommended a binding guideline on which goals should be agreed with African countries and what offers the Federal Government should make to these countries in return. It is time to adapt the various Africa papers from the ministries to the changing challenges in Africa.
“The outdated narrative of Africa as a ‘crisis continent’ should be overcome and Africa’s role as a sought-after partner should be recognized. The German government should therefore conduct the dialogue on an equal footing and coordinate its measures closely with existing concepts such as those of the African Union,” said Mathias Mogge, Secretary General of Welthungerhilfe.
Food security and the strengthening of rural areas must be given priority. Budget cuts by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) in this area of more than 30 percent as early as 2023 are short-sighted and send the wrong signal.
Organisations against cuts in a “world in crisis mode”
Both organizations warned the federal government against cutting the budget of the Development Ministry. They pointed to global challenges in a “world in crisis mode” and an increasing number of hungry people.
“If the current financial planning of Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner were implemented, funding would fall by a further 1.6 billion euros in 2025. That would be a total decline of over 25 percent within one legislative period,” said Joshua Hofert, Director of Communications at terre des hommes. Such cuts would affect millions of people on the African continent alone – for example in Sudan, Somalia or Burkina Faso, who are suffering from the consequences of crises and conflicts.
The Development Ministry has around 11.2 billion euros at its disposal in the 2024 fiscal year. This corresponds to 2.35 percent of the entire federal budget. Ten years ago, the ministry’s budget was around 6.4 billion euros. The “Compass 2024” report is intended to subject German development policy to a critical analysis, taking into account in particular the requirements of the UN Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted in 2015 for German policy.
Important goal: strengthen agriculture
The report also calls for a focus on food security and the resilience of food systems in the Sahel region. “Prioritizing the strengthening of sustainable and resilient agriculture should be a priority, with a focus on improving the production conditions of smallholder farms and creating income opportunities, particularly in rural areas,” it says.
The Sahel region is being destabilized by armed conflicts and terrorist groups. Recently, military coups have taken power in several countries, which have subsequently turned away from Western partners and toward Russia. The effects of climate change and a high birth rate are also making it difficult to combat hunger and poverty.