On the occasion of the presentation of its annual report, the Catholic aid organisation Misereor appeals to the German government to reconsider the planned substantial cuts in development cooperation and humanitarian aid. "What international cooperation has achieved in recent years in the fight against hunger, disease and injustice is now at stake in many regions and countries," explained Andreas Frick, Managing Director of Misereor. The global cuts in the fight against poverty marked a profound turning point for international development cooperation. Frick warned of the consequences for peace and security worldwide.
"Where the USA and other countries are currently tearing large gaps in development funding, Germany can and must now take on important responsibilities. We are one of the largest donors of development funds. We should proactively accept and shape this role - also in our own interest. Because without international cooperation, without the further development of other countries, with growing poverty and hunger worldwide, there will be neither peace nor security for us and worldwide," emphasised Frick on Wednesday in Berlin.
In the Middle East in particular, the situation in the entire region is coming to a head. Bernd Bornhorst, Managing Director of International Cooperation at Misereor, called on the German government to exert its influence and finally demand that the Israeli government lift the aid blockade: "The military operations must come to an end and the people in Gaza must be supplied with food, clean water and medicines across the board." According to Bornhorst, the chaotic conditions with hundreds of deaths and thousands of injured people waiting for aid deliveries at the few distribution centres worsened the situation and contradicted all the rules of humanitarian aid.
Strong focus on armament will not ensure more peace in the long term
The Chairman of the Catholic Central Office for Global Development (KZE), Prelate Karl Jüsten, called on the German government to stop authorising arms exports to Israel that are clearly being used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law. "The German government must do much more than it has in the past to promote rapid and intensive peace negotiations. Germany has a special responsibility here," said Jüsten. He also warned against the planned massive increases in armaments and military resources in Germany: "Despite all the need for investment in Germany's defence capabilities, such a strong focus on the military alone will not ensure more peace in the long term. Germany should not lose sight of the goals of the past decades: The fight against hunger, poverty and climate change must not be curbed in order to prevent crises and create stability."
62.4 million donations with a total income of 229.9 million
In 2024, Misereor received 62.4 million euros from donations and collections, a slight decrease of 2.2 million compared to the previous year. Misereor Managing Director Frick thanked the donors for their great solidarity with people in countries with high poverty rates. In total, Misereor had 229.9 million euros at its disposal in 2024, including funds from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Misereor currently supports more than 3100 projects in 83 countries.
