Keir Starmer accused of ‘hypocrisy’ over help reduce to World Food Programme | EUROtoday

Prime minister Keir Starmer has been accused of hypocrisy after the UK decreased its funding to the UN’s World Food Programme by a 3rd.

The Labour chief had pledged to prioritise the “fight against hunger” and vowed to sort out “suffering and starvation” at a G20 summit in Brazil upon coming into authorities.

But Britain has since reduce funding to the WFP from $610m (£448m) in 2024 to $435m (£319m) final yr.

Michael Bates, a peer and former Conservative help minister, has hit out on the determination as he mentioned circumstances of hunger are rising “exponentially”.

“If this was just a UK story it would be bad enough, but we are seeing it is a French story, it is a German story and a US story,” he advised The Guardian.

“All these countries are cutting. There will be a time lag but this will cost lives. We have a responsibility to protect these lives.”

Last yr the federal government hosted a two-day convention on hunger and malnutrition in Afghanistan. As of final yr, almost 23 million Afghans require help, together with 12 million missing meals. The World Food Programme has shut 298 aid websites throughout the nation.

open picture in gallery

Mr Bates referred to as the choice to chop help whereas calling for motion “hypocritical”.

A UK authorities spokesperson advised the publication that the UK stays the fifth largest donor to the WFP.

Prime minister Starmer made the choice to chop worldwide help to 0.3 per cent of GDP as he vowed to extend defence spending to 2.5 per cent amid considerations over the nation’s war-readiness. Rachel Reeves introduced the choice final yr, regardless of the celebration having beforehand promised to revive the determine to 0.7 per cent of GDP.

In December 2025, overseas ministers and charities hit out on the UK chief for reducing help whereas funneling funds into initiatives to crack down on unlawful immigration from Bangladesh.

open picture in gallery

Flora Alexander, the International Rescue Committee (IRC)’s UK govt director, mentioned on the time: “With the aid budget at its lowest in decades, every pound must go where it saves lives and tackles the root causes of crisis.

“That means prioritising fragile and conflict-affected states, where needs are greatest and where smart investment can help reduce the pressures that force people to leave their homes.”

The United Nations has warned that 55 million individuals are to face a starvation disaster in central and West Africa.

Four international locations – Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, and Niger – account for 77 per cent of that the meals insecurity, with some 15,000 folks in Nigeria at present vulnerable to meals “catastrophe,” or famine-level starvation, for the primary time in almost a decade, in response to studies.

This article has been produced as a part of The Independent’s Rethinking Global Aid venture