The four major church organisations involved in development cooperation and humanitarian aid - Bread for the World, Caritas Germany, Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe and Misereor - are alarmed ahead of the Bundestag's upcoming deliberations on the 2026 draft budget. The budget of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development is set to fall to 9.9 billion euros - almost 30 per cent less than in 2022 and therefore a ten-year low. The cuts to humanitarian aid are even more drastic. The budget has shrunk by 60 per cent since 2022 to just one billion euros for 2026. The massive cuts are already costing lives; many aid projects are on the verge of being cancelled. The cuts in the 2026 draft budget would exacerbate the global need.
The church organisations warn that in view of the approximately 700 million starving people worldwide, escalating crises and more than 300 million people who are dependent on humanitarian aid, Germany's withdrawal from its international responsibility is the wrong signal. In order to strengthen civil society and partner projects worldwide, reliable funding is needed instead of further cuts. The long-term cooperation of the four church development and aid organisations with local partner organisations in particular is suffering from the cuts. The internationally agreed ODA quota of 0.7 per cent must not be undercut again. In view of the current cutback plans, the forecast ODA rate for 2027 is only 0.4 per cent.
"The current downward trend in funding for development cooperation and humanitarian aid is making our work extremely difficult. While our partners support people on a daily basis to lead a safe and self-determined life, the German government continues to reduce funding for their work," explains Dagmar Pruin, President of Bread for the World and Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe. "We church organisations work closely with local partners. This aid is vital, especially in regions where state structures cannot reach. Germany must fulfil its responsibility and keep its promises."
"The planned massive cuts face terrible realities: an increase in conflicts and wars, climate-related droughts and floods, rising numbers of people suffering from hunger and malnutrition," says Andreas Frick, Misereor's Managing Director. "The cuts to date are already leading to a lack of money for necessary projects in the areas of adaptation to the climate crisis, healthcare and food security, leaving people without prospects for the future. This will undoubtedly have far-reaching consequences for peace and security worldwide, including for us in Germany."
"The development is going in absolutely the wrong direction: due to the growing number of crises and conflicts worldwide, more solidarity and willingness to help is needed, not less," criticises Oliver Müller, Director of Caritas Germany. "Even before the cuts, it was hardly possible to substantially alleviate this need. The political backing for solidarity-based action is crumbling worldwide and the system is beginning to falter. The existential crisis is hitting the weakest first."
"After the budget for humanitarian aid has already been more than halved this year, it will stagnate at its lowest level for ten years in 2026," says Martin Keßler, Head of Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe. "The German government is thus cementing underfunding that does not do justice to the global challenges and is breaking its promise of adequate funding in the coalition agreement. As a result of the cuts, more than five million additional people could no longer receive emergency aid."
