States Attend Global Disability Summit as Aid Cuts Devastate Support for People with Disabilities

• At the 3rd Global Disability Summit in Berlin, Humanity & Inclusion urges states to reaffirm their commitment to the inclusion and rights of people with disabilities.
• Multiple countries – including the US, UK, Germany, France, and Sweden – have slashed their aid budgets, with devastating effects on global humanitarian efforts, especially for people with disabilities.
• The UK’s 40% aid budget cut, alongside drastic reductions by other nations, will disproportionately affect people with disabilities, limiting access to education, healthcare, and essential services.
• Reduced support services push disabled individuals into poverty and exclusion, both within the UK and internationally, threatening progress made in disability rights.
• Humanity & Inclusion’s projects have already been disrupted due to aid cuts, highlighting urgent funding needs. The global charity continues its efforts in disability rights, rehabilitation, education, and inclusion, supporting over a million people annually despite financial challenges.

On the occasion of the 3rd Global Disability Summit, Humanity & Inclusion (HI), which has worked alongside people with disabilities for more than 40 years, calls on states to support international aid and reaffirm their commitment to the inclusion and rights of persons with disabilities.

The Summit is taking place in Berlin on 2nd and 3rd April, bringing together governments, donors, United Nations agencies, and civil society organisations to promote the rights of people with disabilities and foster a more inclusive world.

Many of the states attending the Summit have announced drastic funding cuts for international aid. These include cuts to inclusive health, inclusive education, and inclusive humanitarian action, which are fundamental pillars of support for people with disabilities, who are already often excluded from aid programmes. 

As world leaders and disability rights advocates gather for the Global Disability Summit, the UK government’s recent funding cuts threaten to undermine critical support for people with disabilities, both domestically and internationally. The timing of these cuts sends a damaging message about the UK’s commitment to upholding the rights and dignity of disabled people worldwide.

"The UK’s 40% aid cut isn’t just a budget decision - it’s a betrayal of people with disabilities worldwide. As world leaders gather at the Global Disability Summit, they must do more than offer words; they must act. Slashing support now risks undoing decades of progress, pushing millions further into poverty and exclusion. True commitment to disability rights means funding inclusion, not cutting it." says George Graham, Chief Executive of Humanity & Inclusion UK

These budget reductions will have a disproportionate impact on people with disabilities, who already face significant barriers to accessing education, healthcare, and employment opportunities. Within the UK, reductions in support services risk pushing disabled people further into poverty and isolation. Internationally, foreign aid cuts will severely limit programmes that provide essential mobility aids, rehabilitation services, and inclusive education, jeopardising the progress made toward disability rights in lower-income countries.

Large scale international aid cuts 

The U.S. has recently slashed 80% of its international aid funding while the UK has decided to cut its aid budget by 40%. Other countries, such as Sweden and the Netherlands, are also making drastic cuts to their international aid budgets. Germany’s outgoing coalition government - formerly the leading European donor - planned to slash humanitarian support by more than half, from €2.23 billion in 2024 to €1.04 billion this year. France has already reduced its Official Development Assistance (ODA) by nearly €800 million in 2024 and plans a further 18% cut between 2024 and 2025. The European Commission will also reduce the funds allocated to the world's poorest countries by 35%.

The impact on both emergency and long-term support for people with disabilities - who often live in low-income countries and are among the most vulnerable and discriminated-against populations - will be devastating.

“Donors are drastically reducing their funding, and states are withdrawing from international aid. This short-sighted policy will have a devastating impact on people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups, increasing the risk of exclusion and impoverishment. We cannot see decades of progress in disability rights and inclusion going to waste. Working towards a more inclusive and sustainable world is a smart investment in our common future. We urge states to continue supporting international aid and to fully implement the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities”, said Blandine Bouniol, HI Advocacy Deputy Director.

Protecting and promoting the rights of people with disabilities

1.3 billion people, or 16% of the world’s population, experience significant disability and often face discrimination and exclusion.

The 2025 Global Disability Summit will take place one year before the 20th anniversary of states adopting the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the UN treaty that promotes and protects the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities, to which HI was a major contributor.

During the summit, a special emphasis will be placed on Article 11 (Situations of Risk and Humanitarian Emergencies) and Article 32 (International Cooperation) of the CRPD. These articles aim to ensure that international development and humanitarian efforts are inclusive of and accessible to persons with disabilities.

Whereas the first Global Disability Summit in 2018 marked a milestone in international efforts to advance the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities, this 3rd Summit presents a unique opportunity to enhance understanding of disability, heighten awareness of the challenges faced by people with disabilities, and promote inclusive policies, particularly in low-and middle-income countries. 

Blandine Bouniol, HI’s Advocacy Deputy Director, said: “We hope that States participating in the Global Disability Summit will have more to propose than funding cuts. Aggravating inequalities and undermining the stability of societies cannot be the project we offer to the world.”

Notes

Interviews available with:

• George Graham, Chief Executive, Humanity & Inclusion UK
• HI representatives attending the Global Disability Summit in Berlin including:
  • Blandine Bouniol, HI’s Advocacy Deputy Director
  • Virendra Thagunna, Country Director for HI in Nepal

Key figures on disability:

• 80% of people with disabilities live in low- and middle-income countries. 
• 20% of the world’s poorest people live with some kind of disability and tend to be regarded as the most disadvantaged.
• Available data shows that the proportion of people with disabilities living under the poverty line is higher, and in some countries double, than that of persons without disabilities.
• In many countries, more than 80% of people with disabilities who need welfare services cannot receive them.
• Only 5 -15% of persons in low- and middle-income countries receive the assistive devices they need to be independent.

Case study: the effects of aid cuts on disabled children in Jordan 

In Jordan, HI has been running eight projects in support of persons with disabilities and other vulnerable individuals in multiple fields including early childhood development, economic inclusion, inclusive education, maternal, newborn and child health, mental health and  physical rehabilitation. 

Doa'a, a 7 year old young Syrian refugee, lives in Zarqa, Jordan. The little girl, who has Down Syndrome and a severe speech impairment, was also diagnosed with cancer and received cancer treatment at Al-Hussein Cancer Hospital.

HI and its partner in Jordan, Al Hashimiya Housing Elementary School, have supported her to Doa'a to go to school, covering her tuition fees and providing her with materials, classroom support and home schooling.

The recent suspension and cancelation of US funding led to the immediate cessation of all field activities, including the suspension of rehabilitation services for 368 beneficiaries and early intervention activities for 140 children, including Doa’a. 

HI was forced to terminate 75 community-based volunteer contracts and inclusive education support was disrupted for 165 children. The organisation is currently engaged with alternative donors to mitigate the funding gap. 

Humanity & Inclusion’s global activities

Humanity & Inclusion (HI) supports people with disabilities in 59 countries through a wide range of activities, including physical and functional rehabilitation, health equity, protection, inclusive education, economic and social inclusion and the overall promotion of disability rights. For example, in 2023, HI supported:

• 536,309 persons with disabilities through rehabilitation services and assistive technologies,
• 858,769 through health services, 
• 850,439 through social and inclusion services.

These achievements were made possible through collaborations with 106 organisations of people with disabilities (OPDs) around the world.