Trump’s ‘Donroe Doctrine’ redraws US foreign aid map
29/1/2026: The US State Department has released its latest five-year strategy which includes foreign assistance. Africa is only mentioned once in the 19-page strategy and the UN Sustainable Development Goals are deemed to be “inconsistent with U.S. sovereignty and adverse to the rights and interests of Americans.”
Source: Devex
Global aid is leaving the poorest behind
28/1/2026: A report by Eurodad argues that technical reforms have diverted foreign aid away from poverty reduction and toward the commercial and political priorities of donor countries. For example, donors are now more likely to favour loans over grants, even as many low-income countries face mounting debt distress.
Source: Devex
This jubilee year must herald a new era of global debt relief
15/12/2025: Every 25 years the Catholic Church celebrates a jubilee, a time marked by forgiveness of debt. The most recent jubilee, in 2000, led to the largest debt forgiveness in modern history, as 36 countries benefited from $76 billion in relief. As the 2025 jubilee year comes to an end, the debt burden of the poorest countries remains stubbornly unsustainable.
Source: Devex
Where do the USAID legal battles stand?
3/12/2025: The radical disbandment of USAID has triggered a growing coalition of partners, employees, and grantees fighting back through a web of legal tests. Some have secured early wins, but most remain locked in procedural battles that may still take months to resolve.
Source: Devex
The G20 has failed on debt relief
24/11/2025: When South Africa assumed the Presidency of the G20, debt sustainability was placed front and centre. Many hoped that, with an African country at the helm, the G20 would finally deliver real solutions to the debt crisis gripping the Global South – particularly Africa. As the South African presidency drew to a close, nothing has fundamentally changed and it is time to look to the UN for genuine solutions.
Source: Inter Press Service
G20 recommits to debt relief — but critics say it’s far from enough
21/10/2025: The G20 has released a ministerial declaration on debt reaffirming support for the Common Framework, its mechanism for coordinating debt relief among low-income countries. Launched in 2020, the Framework was designed to streamline debt restructuring but only a handful of countries — Chad, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Zambia — have gone through the process.
Source: Devex
From aid to investment: Reshaping Africa’s path to growth
21/10/2025: Africa’s long reliance on foreign aid has come at the expense of its own industrial and human capital development. A shift from aid to investment will require stronger institutions, better-prepared projects, and renewed focus on local capacity.
Source: Devex
Supreme court rules that Trump can let foreign aid expire
27/9/2025: The US Supreme Court has overturned a lower court order that the Trump administration should honour a commitment to $10.5 billion in foreign aid funding set to expire on Sept. 30. The high-stakes case sheds light on how much power the executive branch has over government spending, which is typically the purview of Congress.
Source: Devex
Global military spending undermines development goals, says UN Secretary General
10/9/2025: Global military spending has been on the rise for more than 20 years, and in 2024 it surged across all five global regions to reach a record high. A new report by the UN Secretary-General encourages countries to prioritize diplomacy and multilateralism to protect global security - and avoid diversion of financial resources away from the Sustainable Development Goals.
Source: Inter Press Service
Trump seeks to undo Congress commitment to $5 billion aid
29/8/2025: The White House has announced its intention to cancel roughly $5 billion in US foreign aid that Congress already approved in previous fiscal years. This controversial measure, known as a “pocket rescission,” has not been attempted since 1977.
Source: Devex