LONDON

Save the Children UK on Tuesday slammed the UK government's decision to cut the aid budget in favor of more military spending, calling it a "betrayal of the world’s most vulnerable children."

On social media, Moazzam Malik, CEO of Save the Children UK, expressed deep concern over the move, highlighting the negative impact it would have on global humanitarian efforts.

"We are stunned by this decision to cut the aid budget in order to increase military spending. It is a betrayal of the world’s most vulnerable children and the UK’s national interest," he said.

The charity warned that reducing the aid budget would not only undermine the UK’s partnerships with countries around the world but also signal a retreat from global efforts to address climate change, poverty, inequality, and conflict.

Save the Children stressed that the cuts would jeopardize vital international work aimed at addressing global health crises and pandemics, exacerbating economic instability that would ultimately affect both vulnerable populations abroad and families in the UK.

Malik also emphasized that the consequences of these cuts would be felt most acutely by children and families who rely on humanitarian aid to survive in regions affected by conflict and poverty.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Tuesday unveiled ambitious plans to boost UK defense spending to 2.5% of national income by 2027, a move that comes as efforts to resolve the ongoing war in Ukraine intensify.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Tuesday, Starmer outlined the government’s strategy to allocate more funds to defense, while scaling back the UK’s aid budget.

Under the new plans, the UK's defense budget will rise to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, with an additional £13.4 billion ($16.9 billion) allocated annually for military spending.

As part of this increase, the UK's aid budget will be reduced from 0.5% to 0.3% of GDP by 2027, with the savings redirected to support defense investments.