# UK aid cuts hit poorest countries hardest

> Britain's poorest aid recipients lost £118m while richer countries gained, as the Starmer government redirects funds to defence.
- Title: UK aid cuts hit poorest countries hardest · the Guardian
- Summary: Britain's poorest aid recipients lost £118m while richer countries gained, as the Starmer government redirects funds to defence. The world's least-developed…
- Keywords: uk aid, keir starmer, foreign aid cuts, least-developed countries, sierra leone, yemen, afghanistan, humanitarian aid, defence spending, bond charity, official development assistance, news
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/global-development/2026/sep/18/poorest-countries-hit-hardest-by-uk-aid-cuts-under-keir-starmer-government-new-figures-reveal
- Published: 2026-09-18T12:01:27+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: uk aid, keir starmer, foreign aid cuts, least-developed countries, sierra leone, yemen, afghanistan, humanitarian aid, defence spending, bond charity, official development assistance, news
## Poorest countries lose £118m
Funding to least-developed and low-income countries fell 6.7% under the Starmer government, while richer nations saw their aid share increase.
## Overall aid budget shrinks
The UK's Official Development Assistance fell from 0.5% to 0.44% of gross national income, a drop of £987m, with further cuts planned for defence.
## Critical programmes forced to close
Maternal health services in Sierra Leone and education for disabled children across Africa are shutting down as aid dries up, charities warn.

> The human cost of these cuts is already being felt, with critical humanitarian programmes already being forced to close.
## Middle-income countries gain ground
While poor nations lost funding, lower-middle-income countries saw aid increase by 13% and upper-middle-income countries by 2%.
## Yemen and Afghanistan face steep cuts
Yemen will receive 28% less aid by 2028-29 and Afghanistan 39% less, though Ukraine's aid remains ringfenced.
## 64 million fewer people get aid
A new report shows that cumulative cuts by the UK, US and Europe have created the largest funding gap on record, leaving millions without support.
## Key takeaway

The world's least-developed countries bore the brunt of UK aid cuts, losing 6.7% of funding while middle-income countries saw increases.