Expert calls for return to fairness and global solidarity after aid budget cuts
As global leaders cut back on foreign aid in the face of rising nationalism and domestic pressures, a new paper by Dr Pritish Behuria of The University of Manchester says it is time to remember why aid was created in the first place 鈥� and why it is still desperately needed.
In the paper published by the , one of the world鈥檚 leading think tanks for development policy, Dr Behuria argues that today鈥檚 debates about foreign aid have lost sight of the big picture. Instead of focusing only on whether aid 鈥榳orks鈥� or whether it is 鈥榲alue for money鈥�, we should be looking at the roots of global inequality. His message is simple: aid isn't charity - it's about justice.
In 2025, the US government led by President Trump froze most of its foreign aid, and many European countries - including the UK - have also slashed their contributions. Politicians say the money is better spent at home, but Dr Behuria warns that this could lead to greater global instability and inequality.
His paper explains that many poorer countries still rely heavily on aid, especially when they face big trade gaps - meaning they import more than they export and don't have enough foreign currency. These trade problems often date back to colonial times, when countries were forced to rely on exporting raw materials like coffee, cocoa or oil. That dependence hasn鈥檛 gone away.
Countries in the Global South - many of which are former colonies - still suffer from economic disadvantages that are built into the system. For decades, aid helped balance things out. But now, rich countries are walking away just when they are needed most.
In the past, aid helped these countries avoid economic crises. But over time, aid became more about short-term goals like fighting poverty or improving health, and less about helping countries grow strong, independent economies. 鈥淲e鈥檝e forgotten that aid used to be about helping countries stand on their own two feet,鈥� says Dr Behuria.
The research also takes aim at what鈥檚 called 鈥楪lobal Development鈥� - a newer idea that treats poverty in rich countries the same as poverty in poorer ones. While this sounds fair, Dr Behuria says it confuses the issue and weakens the case for giving aid to the countries that need it most. 鈥淵es, there鈥檚 poverty in London and New York - but that鈥檚 not the same as poverty in Malawi or Bangladesh,鈥� he explains.
Dr Behuria calls for a new way of thinking - what he terms a 鈥渟tructuralist鈥� approach - where we tackle the deep, historical roots of inequality between nations. He says academics, governments, and the public all need to reconnect with the original purpose of aid: correcting global injustice.