International aid makes the UK safer and stronger. It helps to stabilise and bring peace to other countries, stops pandemics before they start, and invests in prosperity so less people flee their homes in search of sanctuary.
As veterans who have served in the British armed forces, we have seen first-hand the value of international aid. From responding to earthquakes in Nepal, to delivering medical aid in Haiti — we are using our skills to assist people around the globe.
As the debate over how to defend our country's future intensifies, we're sending a clear message: aid is Britain's first line of defence and must be protected.
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UK aid supports emergency health response in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a global hotspot for outbreaks of diseases like Ebola, mpox, measles, and cholera. This project supports the early containment of health threats — safeguarding global health security and averting the costly impacts of future pandemics.
Impact: By August 2025, the mpox programme had reached 1.5 million people with health communications, investigated 1,422 health alerts, and set-up 11 treatment centres.
UK aid provides funding in Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt to protect vulnerable migrants, and to disincentivise onward, irregular migration into Europe. North Africa hosts a very large refugee population — with over one million refugees hosted by Egypt alone. Our aid budget provides medical assistance, creates routes into decent work, provides language and skills training, and creates community cohesion.
Impact: Since 2024, the programme has provided protection support to 16,970+ migrants, in Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia, such as shelter and medical assistance. More than 1,000 migrants and local young people have attended livelihood skills training.
UK aid contributes to the UN Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding Programme, supporting communities and regions to manage change and conflict peacefully and reduce threats to the UK's national security. This includes peacebuilding efforts in Somalia and Sudan, origin countries for many refugees arriving in small boats on British shores.
Impact: Conflict prevention and peacebuilding programmes save money in the long-run: even in a pessimistic scenario where it only works in a quarter of cases, the average net savings are close to $5 billion a year.
Alongside vital investment in defence, international aid helps prevent conflict, reduce instability, and supports our national security — and gives us a seat at the table with leaders worldwide. The UK's commitment to international aid has long underpinned its global leadership and soft power.
Impact: International aid increases global stability, supports UK influence, and ultimately reduces long-term security risks.
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