LISTENING TO SOUTHERN CITIZENS

international development, humanitarian aid and climate change

(April 30, 2025)

Resuming blogging after completing my PhD studies, I find myself confronted with a deep crisis in the aid sector. The dismantling of US foreign aid, coupled with severe funding cuts by major European donors, is an unprecedented blow to international cooperation. Without a doubt, the current situation is a cause of major concern for the future of humanitarian and development aid as we know it. Yet, it also offers a rare opportunity for practitioners and policymakers to rethink the foundations of the aid system altogether.

What strikes me, though, is that most opinions tend to come from professionals based in the Global North. Far fewer voices from the Global South have spoken up on the aid funding crisis. Why, I wonder?

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