Germany cuts development aid despite growing crises

Germany's Development Minister, Reem Alabali Radovan, opened her latest speech in the lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, with a litany of catastrophes and suffering: floods in Nepal , heat waves, forests engulfed in flames, rivers running dry, and crop failures caused by drought and lack of rainfall. "Millions of people are facing hunger," said the minister from the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD). "And one thing is clear: the climate crisis is threatening the entire world. No country can tackle it alone." Radovan opened the debate on the federal government's proposed 2027 budget for her ministry with a stark assessment. The budget is set to shrink for the fifth consecutive year, falling from just over €10 billion to just under €9.