Just days before the commencement of the North-South Commission, major development organizations have called upon the German government to reverse a series of substantial funding cuts directed at development aid. The children’s charity Terre des Hommes and the development group Welthungerhilfe released their “Kompass 2026” annual report in Berlin earlier this week, offering a harsh critique of current German efforts.
The report asserts that a decline in political support and funding, paired with a perceived disregard for international humanitarian law, has hampered the ability to reach vulnerable populations while undermining the reliability of aid programs. Since 2022, budgets for both humanitarian assistance and the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development have been reduced annually, resulting in a total funding slash of one-third. Current allocations stand at approximately €10 billion for development aid and €1 billion for humanitarian aid, with further cuts anticipated.
While the organizations suggest that development policy has lost its way, Mathias Mogge, the head of Welthungerhilfe, emphasized that the core issue is the absence of a genuine strategy. Mogge dismissed the reform plans presented by Development Minister Reem Alabali Radovan in January, arguing that true partnerships must be built on equality rather than rhetoric. Joshua Hofert, spokesperson for Terre des Hommes, added that any development reform must avoid becoming merely an administrative project managed from Berlin.
The aid groups are advocating for greater inclusion of civil society, particularly young people, from the Global South throughout the formulation and implementation of policy. This inclusive approach, they argue, is essential for the effectiveness and legitimacy of political decision-making. These cuts occur against a global backdrop of rising military expenditures and dwindling humanitarian resources, a trend the organizations claim is compromising Germany’s international credibility.
The report offers several recommendations, urging the federal government to secure multi-year funding, protect humanitarian principles, and advocate more aggressively for compliance with international law at United Nations forums. For these groups, the upcoming North-South Commission, which includes 20 experts from both the Global South and North, offers a potential ray of hope.
Development Minister Alabali Radovan stated that the commission, scheduled to kick off in Hamburg on June 30, aims to strengthen partnerships as the global order shifts toward multipolar power centers. However, the opposition Left Party has remained skeptical. Charlotte Neuhäuser, the party’s global justice spokesperson, described the initiative as an empty gesture, alleging that the government is more interested in securing raw materials and new markets while simultaneously slashing funds for schools, hospitals, and hunger relief in the Global South.
