Oxfam reaction to OECD preliminary data on aid spending in 2024

In response to the publication today of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) preliminary data on Official Development Assistance (ODA) for 2024, Oxfam International’s Aid Policy Lead Salvatore Nocerino said:

“Today’s figures lay bare an ugly truth: even before this year’s devastating cuts to aid, rich countries had already begun to renege on their moral obligations to the world’s most vulnerable communities. Not only had they been reducing aid, but also spending a significant share of it within their own borders to cover refugee costs.

“Only a handful of countries, including Luxembourg, New Zealand, Spain and South Korea, maintained or increased their aid budgets in 2024, and are expected to do the same this year.

“If governments keep slashing aid, more children will go to bed hungry, more people will die from diseases we’ve long known how to prevent, and millions more will be pushed even deeper into poverty.

"Governments must urgently reverse these cuts and start taxing the super-rich, whose wealth has grown unchecked. In a world as interconnected as ours, diseases and climate disasters know no borders. These cuts are reckless and short-sighted, and will drive us all towards greater harm."