Should nations spend more on foreign aid or are cutbacks justified?
They should spend more, but always with US involvement
Dovrebbero spendere di più ,ma sempre con un coinvolgimento degli Stati Uniti
The Rohingyas are also known as "Bengalis" in north-west Myanmar (-burma), are of Muslim faith and mostly Bangladeshi nationals. At the time, they received massive financial support from Saudi Arabia and were encouraged to infiltrate and strengthen Islam in north-west Burma (Arakan State).
The Tadmadaw (Burmese army, which governs the country unelected) reacted disproportionately and kicked the Bengalis out of Arakan. Those who did not leave in time were summarily murdered and tens of thousands lost their lives in this genocide.
All the contributions from Helvetas, Caritas or SDC have nothing to do in this context and turning off the money tap there has absolutely nothing to do with the political side of the issue. It would be much better to call the problem by its name, but that would be undiplomatic and would turn red ears in certain organisations/countries.
I have also seen projects in north-east and northern Laos where I effectively had to ask myself what the Swiss Confederation had in mind here again; very often you are travelling in a group car with the Germans or the EU. Corresponding enquiries are all lost in the sand ........ :-(
Die Rohingyas werden in Nordwestmyanmar (-burma) auch "Bengali" genannt, sind moselmanischen Glaubens und grossteils Bangladeshibürger. Sie wurden damals, finanziell massiv von Saudi Arabien gefördert, angehalten, den Islam in Nordwestburma (Arakan State) zu infiltrieren und zu stärken.
Die Tadmadaw (burmesische Armee, welche das Land nicht gewählterweise regiert) reagierte damals massiv überproportional und schmiss die Bengali aus Arakan raus. Wer nicht rechtzeitig abhaute, wurde kurzerhand ermordet und Zehntausende verloren in diesem Genozid ihr Leben.
Die ganzen Beiträge von Helvetas, Caritas oder DEZA haben in diesem Zusammenhang gar nichts zu bringen und den Geldhahn dort abdrehen, hat mit der politischen Seite der Thematik absolut gar nichts zu tun. Viel eher würde das Problem beim Namen genannt, aber das wäre undiplomatisch und würde bei gewissen Stellen/Länder rote Ohren geben.
Ich habe auch in Nordost- und Nordlaos Projekte gesehen, wo ich mich effektiv fragen musste, was sich die Eidgenossenschaft hier wieder überlegt hat; sehr oft fährt man im Sammelwagen mit den Deutschen oder der EU mit. Entsprechende Nachfragen verlieren alle samt und sonders ........ im Sand :-(
Patricia Danzi, head of the SDC, is right to describe the current situation as a "real earthquake" in the humanitarian sector (7 March 2025).
Take education, for example. 234 million children in crisis situations need urgent support to access quality education - 35 million more than just three years ago. Education in emergencies was already chronically underfunded before the shocks of recent weeks, and the sector is now reaching a critical point.
The members of the Geneva Global Hub for Education in Emergencies (ESU Hub), in a joint statement available on eiehub.org, say that the humanitarian community cannot afford delay or inaction in the face of threats to education.
Lack of education threatens incomes, weakens resilience to crises - including the climate crisis - and undermines prospects for peace.
Despite the challenges, and because of its importance to global stability, peace and security, governments, philanthropists and other donors are called upon to maintain and increase funding; and to make education a priority because of its essential role in delivering other vital interventions, such as food, healthcare, psychosocial and mental health support, and water and sanitation.
Education is the foundation for sustainable change and a fundamental right for every child.
Patricia Danzi, cheffe de la DDC, a raison de caractériser la situation actuelle de «véritable séisme» dans l’humanitaire (7 mars 2025).
Prenons l’exemple de l’éducation. 234 millions d'enfants en situation de crise ont besoin d'un soutien urgent pour accéder à une éducation de qualité – soit 35 millions de plus qu'il y a seulement trois ans. L'éducation dans les situations d'urgence souffrait déjà d'un sous-financement chronique avant les chocs de ces dernières semaines, et le secteur atteint désormais un point critique.
Les membres du Hub mondial de Genève pour l’éducation dans les situations d’urgence (Hub ESU), par le biais d’une déclaration conjointe disponible sur eiehub.org, affirment que la communauté humanitaire ne peut se permettre ni retard ni inaction face aux menaces qui pèsent sur l’éducation.
Le manque d'éducation menace les revenus, affaiblit la résilience face aux crises – y compris la crise climatique – et compromet les perspectives de paix.
Malgré les difficultés, et en raison de son importance pour la stabilité mondiale, la paix et la sécurité, les gouvernements, les acteurs de la philanthropie et les autres donateurs sont appelés à maintenir et accroître les financements; et faire de l'éducation une priorité en raison de son rôle essentiel dans la mise en œuvre d’autres interventions vitales, tels que l’alimentation, les soins de santé, le soutien psychosocial et en santé mentale, ainsi que l'eau et l’assainissement.
L'éducation est le fondement d'un changement durable et un droit fondamental pour chaque enfant.
Thank you for your opinion! Is there anything the international community can do to change the current situation and ensure that those in need of education receive the necessary support?
Before we think about aid, we should think about all the ways in which we are harming populations in the developing countries. For example, we provide a safe haven for money stolen by their politicians. We cause climate-changing emissions that cause droughts, floods, wild fires, heat waves in their countries. Should we not at least try to protect people from these harmful impacts?
There are ways of protecting them from these harmful effects without being paternalistic. For example, we could allow them to use some of our intellectual property (in pharmaceuticals or green technologies) for free. We could subsidize their national school nutrition programs. We could forgive some of their debts (their governments often spend more on debt service than on health and education combined).
Thank you for your valuable opinion. Protecting people in developing countries from harmful effects in a non-paternalistic way is a very important perspective!
Development aid is colonisation 2.0. We are arrogantly making people dependent and paralysing their own drive to create a better life for themselves.
Development must come from within, from the people themselves, and cannot be imposed like a recipe from outside. Democracy that works in the West can never work in Afghanistan with its many clan structures.
Why do we presume to want to tell other peoples how they should live and function? How do we decide who is worthy of our help and who is not?
We go to a football World Cup in Qatar and arrogantly demand LGBTQ+ rights? In a foreign culture with the host? Is that actually true? How arrogant of the so-called cultured West! Have we learnt nothing from the last 120 years?
People here who cry out for diversion, inclusion and diversity are suddenly unable to accept other ways of life and have recently started imposing conditions.
Let other peoples solve their own problems, let them create their own prosperity if they want to or wish to do so.
And spend the development aid in your own country, because the citizens have paid for it with their own taxes.
If aid is to be given abroad, then at most with knowledge and education.
Entwicklungshilfe ist Kolonisation 2.0. In arroganter Weise machen wir die Menschen abhängig und lähmen ihren eigenen Antrieb, ein besseres Leben selber zu erarbeiten.
Entwicklung muss von innen kommen, vom Volk selber, und kann nicht wie ein Kochrezept von aussen übergestülpt werden. Demokratie, die im Westen funktioniert, kann in Afghanistan mit den vielen Clan-Strukturen niemals funktionieren.
Was massen wir uns eigentlich an, anderen Völkern erzählen zu wollen, wie sie zu leben und zu funktionieren haben? Wie entscheiden wir, wer unserer Hilfe würdig ist und wer nicht?
Wir gehen an eine Fussball WM in Quatar und fordern dort arrogant LGBTQ+- Rechte? In einer fremden Kultur beim Gastgeber? Gaht‘s eigentlich no? Wie arrogant vom sogenannten kultivierten Westen! Haben wir nichts gelernt aus den letzten 120 Jahren?
Menschen, die hier nach Diversion, Inklusion und Vielfalt schreien, können andere Lebensweisen plötzlich schlecht akzeptieren und stellen neuerdings Bedingungen.
Lasst die anderen Völker ihre eigenen Probleme selber lösen, lasst sie selber ihren Wohlstand erarbeiten, wenn sie dies denn wünschen oder wollen.
Und gebt die Entwicklungshilfe im eigenen Land aus, denn dafür haben es die Bürger auch mit ihren eigenen Steuern bezahlt.
Wenn schon Hilfe im Ausland, dann maximal mit Wissen und Bildung.
Switzerland spends far to much taxpayer money on aid. We should cut back aid payments by at least 80%. This saved money should then be spent in Switzerland, for the Swiss population, that’s why Swiss taxpayers pay tax, not for foreigners in other countries. A lot of aid money ends up in the pockets of corrupt governments and people abroad. It is a waste of money
I agree that aid funds should never be misused through corruption. It is essential to have mechanisms in place to ensure that aid is used properly. At the same time, it is also important to make sure that those in need of support within the country are not overlooked.
Less funding should be made available and, like China, infrastructure should be built to avoid corruption.
Man sollte weniger Finanzmittel bereitstellen, und wie China Infrastrukturen bauen, um Korruption zu vermeiden.
Greetings, I am a Salvadoran citizen, and for several years we have received cooperation funds from Swiss agencies. Our work is aimed at children with disabilities and their families living in poverty and extreme poverty. I am clear that the welfare of its citizens is a responsibility of the State, however, in countries like El Salvador, with high unemployment, poverty, low educational level and a political class that only works for its own enrichment, investment in human development is precarious.
We thank Switzerland for its support, which has been very useful for children. Although we are an association of families, we have been careful not to spend a lot of funds on administrative expenses and to direct them to the benefits of the families.
Saludos, soy un ciudadano salvadoreño, durante varios años hemos recibido fondos de cooperación de agencias suizas. Nuestro trabajo está dirigido a niñas y niños con discapacidad y sus familias que viven en pobreza y extrema pobreza. Estoy claro que el bienestar de sus ciudadanos es una responsabilidad del Estado, sin embargo, en países como El Salvador, con mucho desempleo, pobreza, bajo nivel educativo y una clase política que solo trabaja para su enriquecimiento propio, la inversión en desarrollo humano es precaria.
Agradecemos a Suiza su apoyo, que ha sido muy útil para niños y niñas. Aunque nosotros somos una asociación de familias, nos hemos cuidado de no destinar muchos fondos en gastos administrativos y dirigirlos a los beneficios de las familias.
Hello, as I have been active in development aid worldwide for a long time, I have repeatedly made the suggestion: help people to help themselves. Many resources are available in the respective countries but have been forgotten and are no longer used. Example: Building houses from cow dung and the locally available clay mixed with grass makes a great building material that is not only environmentally friendly and breathable and keeps the heat outside but also stores the heat from the fire inside at night. Many people have become so dependent on donations etc. that naturally occurring resources are not recognised. They wait for stones from abroad or from the corrugated iron roof, although many plants in the immediate vicinity are more suitable. Growing food in dry areas: Half circles with a depression and banana leaves etc. laid over them at night or the foil from abroad helps to grow something even in the driest areas. Listen to the animals - they show you exactly where there are water sources even in dry areas. Certain grasses and shrubs with deep roots also ensure water and survival. Too much help from abroad paralyses self-help and makes these countries dependent again. Show the local people what can be done. At most, provide technical equipment for a time and teach the local people how, when and why. They will then pass on what they have learnt to their own people and so, bit by bit, the aid from abroad can be withdrawn. Only in war zones such as the Congo, for example, does this not work.
Hallo, da ich lange weltweit in der Entwicklungshilfe aktiv war habe ich immer wieder den Vorschlag gemacht: Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe. Viele Ressourcen sind in den jeweiligen Ländern vorhanden und sind in Vergessenheit geraten und werden nicht mehr angewandt. Beispiel: Hausbau aus Kuhdung und der vor Ort vorhandenen Tonerde mit Gras vermischt ergibt einen super Baustoff, der nicht nur Umweltschonend ist und atmungsaktiv und Hitze draussen hält aber in der Nacht die Wärme vom Feuer drinnen speichert. Viele Menschen sind in so eine Abhängigkeit durch Spenden etc. geraten, dass natürlich vorkommende Ressourcen nicht gesehen werden. Da wartet man auf Steine aus dem Ausland oder aus das Wellblechdach , dabei sind viele Pflanzen in näherer Umgebung besser geeignet. Essen anbauen in trockenen Gebieten: Halbkreise mit Vertiefung und Nachts Bananenblätter etc. drüber legen oder halt dann doch die Folie aus dem Ausland, hilft auch in den trockensten Gebieten etwas wachsen zu lassen. Hört auf die Tiere- die zeigen genau, wo es Wasserquellen auch in trockenen Gebieten gibt. Auch bestimmte Gräser und Sträucher mit tiefen Wurzeln sichern das Wasser und das Überleben. Zu viel Hilfe vom Ausland lähmt die Selbsthilfe und macht diese Länder wieder erneut abhängig. Zeig den Menschen vor Ort was machbar ist. Stellt höchstens technische Geräte für eine Zeit zur Verfügung und lehrt die Einheimischen vor Ort das wir, wann, warum. Diese geben das Gelernte dann an Ihre Leute weiter und somit kann dann Stück für Stück die Hilfe aus dem Ausland abgezogen werden. Nur in den Kriegsgebieten wie zum Beispiel mal wieder der Kongo, da funktioniert das nicht.
While living for some time in South Africa, a citizen of that country told me:
Apartheid had one positive result. Our country experienced boycott in many countries for our products. This in turn forced us to take stock of our resources and made us branch out to become more self sufficient, instead of waiting with open hands for foreign aid, as many other African countries do and did. For Instance, we developed our agricultural and now have world famous wines sold all over the world.
It is similar to feeding a wild animal. It becomes accustomed and stops looking for food actively. Too much foreign aid kills motivation left in the receiving citizens to learn to help themselves. If the aid is directed on training, yes, it is well spend but otherwise we make these people completely depend on our foreign aid which should never be the result of our help. Therefore judge yourself what foreign aid contributes to.
Money for development aid is yellow laundry. This is how the politicians who deal with it refinance themselves. And as I said, nobody learns to look after themselves
Geld für Entwicklung Hilfe ist gelb Wäscherei. Damit refinanzieren sich die Politiker die damit sich beschäftigen. Und wie gesagt, niemand lernt sich selber zu versorgen
Aid is tricky. Whose cause do we champion? More money for "poor" Israelis to attend jewish summer camps? Food to starving countries in Africa? LGBT lessons in muslim countries? Spreading "Pro-democracy" propaganda in ukraine/hong kong/south America? Supporting an educational program for farmers in Bosnia is vastly different than paying out for for pro religious programs.
So who gets the money and who decides who gets the money? The populace has no say whereas easily corrupted politicians happily put taxpayer funds into their own pet projects.
Who is running the aid organizations and how much goes to administrative costs versus on the ground aid? We pay out 10 million and half goes to the board of trustees/politicians/etc?
. Our schools and hospitals are overran...they need more funding. Citizens have absurd cost of living. Yet we can give away money to others and toss billions into American fighter jets? Would you accept a spouse that spent recklessly and endangered your own family in support of others?
it is necessary to reduce the budgets the european union and corrompus it subsidizes the countries in war this union and pro war it always asks for more it ruins the countries
il faut réduire les budgets l'union européenne et corrompus elle subventionne les pays en guerre cette union et pro guerre elle en demande toujours plus elle ruines les pays
The cuts are a boomerang that can or will fall back on the population. Look to your own population, then to the many others in need; what is not needed is warmongering and its financing, apart from the fact that a human being is not state property.
Die Kürzungen sind ein Bumerang, der auf die Bevölkerung zurückfallen kann oder wird. Zur eigenen Bevölkerung schauen, dann zu den vielen anderen Notleidenden; was es nicht braucht, ist die Kriegstreiberei und deren Finanzierung, abgesehen davon, dass ein Mensch nicht Staatseigentum darstellt.
In my view, there are two aspects to consider in relation to foreign aid. The first has to do with the political sphere and the second with the humanitarian and developmental aspects of the countries that receive these contributions. The latter is related to technical aspects and to the CSR, Global Social Responsibility, of the nations that have high wealth indices, indices that are often due to the resources extracted from these countries that receive aid. Ultimately, this would be a compensation for the enrichment that these countries provide to the more developed nations. On the humanitarian side, the contribution has to do with the depletion of resources due to accelerated extractivism, so the contribution is still compensation.
However, at the moment, the decrease in resources for foreign aid has more to do with political action, associated with the advance of right-wing governments, which consider the social contribution an expense that should be controlled and reduced. In short, it is a trend that has nothing to do with technical aspects or GSR, but rather with a stance that stems from the capitalist economic model, rather than from a real global advance in the quality of life of the countries that currently receive this aid. Given this, it is important to reverse these trends and also to take a new look at the resources allocated, to target those areas that effectively intervene in development on the one hand, and today, in the issues associated with climate change and its consequences. Greetings and thank you for the space.
A mi modo de ver, hay dos aspectos a considerar en relación con el aporte exterior. El primero tiene que ver con el ámbito político y el segundo con el aspecto humanitario y de desarrollo de los países que reciben estos aportes. Esto último está relacionado con aspectos técnicos y la RSG, Responsabilidad Social Global, de las naciones que tienen índices de riqueza elevados, índices que se muchas veces se deben a los recursos extraídos de estos países que reciben ayuda. Finalmente, esto sería una compensación por el enriquecimiento que estos países proporcionan a las naciones mas desarrolladas. En el aspecto humanitario, el aporte tiene que ver con se ha producido el agotamiento de los recursos, por el extractivismo acelerado, por lo tanto, el aporte sigue siendo una compensación.
Sin embargo, en este momento, la disminución de recursos para el exterior tiene que ver mas con una acción política, asociada al avance de los gobiernos de tendencias de derecha, los que consideran el aporte social un gasto que debe ser controlado y disminuido. En definitiva, es una tendencia que no tiene que ver con aspectos técnicos o de RSG, sino mas bien con una postura que nace del modelo economico capitalista, mas que de un verdadero avance mundial en la calidad de vida de los países que hoy reciben esa ayuda. Dado eso, es importante revertir estas tendencias y lograr, además, darle una nueva mirada a los recursos asignados, para apuntar a aquellas áreas que efectivamente intervienen en el desarrollo por un lado, y hoy por hoy, en las temáticas asociadas al cambio climático y sus consecuencias. Saludos y gracias por el espacio.
All aid must stop, all illegal immigration must stop. It is not the responsibility of any sovereign country to aid another. Instead we need to maintain our cultural identity to include religious ethnicity that is of each country. SWITZERLAND needs to get back to its standard of only Swiss can live in Switzerland as should USa, France. ENGLAND, CZECH, HUNGARY AND SO ON. The world is overpopulated and in the long run, those countries that can't sustain themselves will die off some of their populations. This is just and sane. The world issues should not be the burden of those countries that have acted to protect their own citizens. As for USA aid, SHUT it down. SWITZERLAND SHUT IT DOWN.
Sure, I will get some haters, but that's my opinion and I have every right to it
I respectfully disagree with you. I don't hate you. Please don't conflate the two. The problems facing Switzerland cannot be solved by Switzerland alone. One of the ways to achieve global (and regional) agreement on how to solve global issues is through co-operation and collaboration. Aid is one way to build relationships with other countries. We do not offer aid to other countries as a responsibility, rather we do it as a selfless action, that might bring benefits to our own country.
As swiss Christian living in this global world I am shocked about your opinion. Does this have to do with Nächstenliebe, the main precept of the Christian?
One of the other precept is to forgive you, denn sie wissen nicht, was sie tun
I will probably never understand why Switzerland needs fighter jets.
In my opinion, this money would be much more sustainably invested in development aid...
Vermutlich werde ich nie verstehen, weshalb die Schweiz Kampfjets braucht.
Dieses Geld wäre m.M. viel nachhaltiger in der Entwicklungshilfe investiert…
I think they should not cut aid to the poorest countries that really need it to meet their basic needs and education, it is also very important that millionaires really help the poorest and do not cheat with foundations and ngos, aid should be direct not with intermediaries, an alternative is to help through the red cross, caritas, etc..
It is time to be solitary.
Creo que no deben recortar la ayuda a los países más pobres que realmente lo necesitan para satisfacer sus necesidades básicas y educación, también es muy importante que los millonarios ayuden realmente a los más pobres y no hagan trampa con fundaciones y ong,la ayuda debe ser directa no con intermedios,una alternativa es ayudar mediante la cruz roja, caritas,etc.
Es momento de ser solitarios .
The cuts have a boomerang effect on countries that are better off than those for whom aid is essential. Aid contributes to education, vocational training and social and economic development, discouraging emigration, which in turn increases the social and economic pressures on wealthier countries. It's not a question of giving money, but of providing well-targeted resources, particularly in the field of education, from the earliest age.
In Switzerland, legendary prudence means that the central bank almost always makes huge profits, and the pension funds, AVS, insurance companies and banks have reserves running into billions. The last federal budget showed a deficit 32 times lower than projected. The brake on aid reflects the climate of uncertainty created by the current armed conflicts and political upheavals.
Les coupes ont un effet boomerang sur les pays mieux nantis que ceux pour qui l'aide est essentielle. L'aide contribue à l'éducation, le formation professionnelle, au développement social et économique décourageant l'émigration qui, elle, accentue les pressions sociales et économiques sur les pays plus aisés. Il ne s'agit pas de donner de l'argent mais des moyens, bien ciblés, en particulier dans le cadre de la formation, dès le plus jeune âge.
En Suisse, une prudence légendaire fait que la banque centrale fait presque toujours d'énormes profits, les caisses de pension, l'AVS, les compagnies d'assurance, les banques ont des réserves qui se chiffrent en milliards. Le dernier budget de la Confédération à fait apparaitre un déficit 32 fois inférieur aux projections. Le frein à l'aide reflète le climat d'incertitude émanant des conflits armés et bouleversements politiques actuels.
Keith Stuessi 2025--2-13
I am a USA born US citizen. My Great Grandfather Jon Jakob Stussi was born in and came from Glarus in July 1858 to the US all by himself. He was 17 when he left Glarus. In the previous 5 years he lost his father and mother and 5 siblings from Cholera, and they were almost starving due to a mini-ice age which had descended on central Europe. I am sure many of you native born Swiss know this story. Anyway....
I am very sad and embarrassed the US under Trump and Musk have cancelled Billions of dollars of aid through USAID to some of the most desperate countries and regions of the world. When the people who voted for Trump realize the full impact of the cruelty of Trump cancelling this aid, I believe this action will be reversed. I pray that it will!
Thank you for your contribution! One question: don't you think that voters elected Donald Trump precisely because of issues like these? After all, he announced everything during the election campaign.
Danke für Ihren Beitrag! Eine Frage: Glauben Sie nicht, dass die Wählerinnen und Wähler Donald Trump genau wegen solchen Themen gewählt haben? Er hat ja alles angekündigt im Wahlkampf.
This (aid) was a defraud to the citizens of this country (USA) and lined only the pockets of the politicians who stole the funds. Same in UK and All Europe.
Thank you for your comment! What is the opinion around you about the Trump administration's suspension of foreign aid?
コメントありがとうございました！あなたの周りでは、トランプ政権が対外援助を停止したことについて、どのような意見が出ていますか？
I don't think Switzerland does too little: it spends more on foreign aid than it does on the military!
Non mi sembra che la Svizzera faccia troppo poco: spende più per aiuti all'estero che non nemmeno per il militare!
Hello, the following reliable links suggest that Switzerland spends more on it's military than it does on international aid. Perhaps you can cite other sources to support your claim?
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/DC.ODA.TOTL.GN.ZS?locations=CH
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS?locations=CH
This is simply wrong: https://www.efv.admin.ch/efv/de/home/finanzberichterstattung/bundeshaushalt_ueb/ausgaben.html
Das ist schlicht falsch: https://www.efv.admin.ch/efv/de/home/finanzberichterstattung/bundeshaushalt_ueb/ausgaben.html
Swiss military spending (2022): $6.15 bn.
Swiss foreign ais (2025): $2.04 bn
That's 3:1 in favor of the military.
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