Aid organization - Caritas warns against budget cuts and praises donations
Charity organization Caritas international warned the German government about budget cuts in humanitarian aid and development aid. "Given the steadily increasing number of wars and crises, it is completely the wrong signal to cut funds for humanitarian aid now," said Oliver Müller, head of Caritas international, in Freiburg at the presentation of the annual report 2023. "The cuts due to the budget cuts decided by the traffic light coalition are significant."
Since 2022, public funds for development cooperation and humanitarian aid have been reduced by more than twenty percent. According to the current plan of Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP), financing in 2025 will decrease by at least an additional 1.6 billion Euro. The cabinet will deal with the budget in the coming week.
The Development Ministry has approximately 11.2 billion Euro at its disposal in the budget year 2024. This corresponds to 2.35 percent of the entire federal budget. Ten years ago, the budget was around 6.4 billion Euro.
At the end of June, aid organizations Welthungerhilfe and terre des hommes had already warned the German government about cuts in the budget of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Caritas International supported approximately 7.4 million needy people worldwide in the past year, according to their own statements, with a total of 110 million Euro. The money is used, among other things, in Ukraine due to the Russian attack war and in the Gaza Strip during the Gaza War. Three Caritas employees reportedly lost their lives in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the conflict.
Of the 110 million Euro, 65 million Euro allegedly come from nearly 230,000 donors and donors. The rest of the money is reportedly foundation money and contributions from the German government and the European Union.
The 110 million Euro are therefore the second highest amount ever granted by Caritas - only in 2022 was the amount higher. "Despite high inflation, rising energy costs, and increasing political polarization, there has been and continues to be great solidarity with people who are particularly in need of solidarity worldwide," said the President of the German Caritas Association, Eva-Maria Welskop-Deffaa. Thanks to donors, Caritas could be active in a total of 663 projects in 75 countries.
- Caritas from Fribourg, Switzerland, also expressed concerns over the budget cuts in humanitarian aid, aligning with the warnings from German organizations.
- The Federal Government in Germany is set to discuss the budget in the coming week, with Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) advocating for further reductions in financing for 2025.
- In Baden-Württemberg, another major aid organization, Caritas, has been actively participating in international relationships, providing aid to various countries including Ukraine and the Gaza Strip.
- The reduction in public funds for development cooperation and humanitarian aid since 2022 has affected many organizations, including Church-related aid organizations like Caritas, leading to significant impacts on their operations.
- The cuts in the budget of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) have been a topic of concern for various aid organizations, including international organizations based in Gaza Strip, such as Caritas.
- The Aid organization, Caritas, has been a crucial source of support for individuals in need, particularly during crises like the Russian attack on Ukraine and the Gaza War, receiving substantial funds from the German government and European Union.
