Dutch Government Reduces Foreign Aid, Impacting Zimbabwean NGOs

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The Dutch government is changing its approach to foreign trade and development aid, prioritising national interests. This shift includes significant budget cuts and a strategic reallocation of resources to benefit the Netherlands directly.

Starting in 2027, the Netherlands will reduce its development aid budget by €2.4 billion annually. The total aid budget will drop from €6.1 billion in 2029 to €3.8 billion, reducing development aid as a percentage of Gross National Income (GNI) from 0.62% in 2024 to 0.44% in 2029.

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Through its embassy in Harare, the Netherlands provides aid to Zimbabwe, focusing on supporting human rights defenders, promoting gender equality, addressing climate change, and fostering economic development.

Key beneficiaries of this aid include:

• Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, providing legal support to human rights defenders.
• Green Impact Centre, focusing on environmental sustainability.
• The Bioskop! Short Film Competition, an annual event showcasing and awarding short films in Zimbabwe.
• Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association, supporting women’s legal rights.
• My Trees Trust, promoting environmental conservation through tree planting.
• HeForShe, involving men in the fight against violence towards women and girls.
• Birdlife Zimbabwe, working to conserve bird species and their habitats.

Development aid will now be tied to the Netherlands’ economic, security, and migration interests. The focus will shift from traditional aid to initiatives promoting trade, economic growth, security, and migration control.

Key priorities will include:

• Water management, leveraging Dutch expertise in infrastructure and coastal protection.
• Food security to support local food production and Dutch agribusiness.
• Healthcare, particularly maternal and child health in developing regions.

However, support for gender equality programs, including funding for UN Women, vocational and higher education programs in Africa, sports, cultural projects, and climate-related funding (especially small-scale renewable energy projects) will be phased out.

Funding for civil society organisations and international NGOs will also be cut in favour of locally-led initiatives. Aid will be concentrated on a limited number of countries, particularly in Europe’s neighbouring regions.

Development programs in West Africa, the Horn of Africa, and North Africa & the Middle East (MENA) will continue, while regions like the Great Lakes, South Asia, and Latin America will see reduced aid.

Migration control will be central to the new approach, with aid linked to agreements to curb irregular migration and increased investment in refugee programs like PROSPECTS. Stronger cooperation with key migration transit and origin countries, such as Morocco and Uganda, will be prioritised.

The Netherlands will also strengthen ties with Dutch businesses in sectors like infrastructure, agriculture, and water, providing incentives for companies to secure international contracts and exploring concessional loans to finance projects.

Humanitarian aid will remain a priority, although funding for UNDP and UNICEF will be reduced by 50%. The government will transition from working with international NGOs to direct partnerships with local organisations and reduce core contributions to the UN and World Bank, focusing aid on projects that align with Dutch interests.

This new strategy will impact regions like West Africa, the Horn of Africa, and North Africa, emphasising trade, security, and migration. In contrast, aid to regions outside these priorities will decrease, with a shift towards trade-focused aid rather than direct financial support.

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