Two major Christian churches have appealed to the black-red coalition government, warning against further cuts to development assistance. In a joint call, the signatories stated, “Whoever saves money today on development, health, and human well-being will pay for crises, conflicts, and instability tomorrow.”
The appeal was signed by Anna-Nicole Heinrich, President of the Synod of the Evangelical Church in Germany, and Irme Stetter-Karp, President of the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK). These leaders urged the federal government and the Bundestag to halt the proposed cuts and uphold Germany’s international commitments.
The signatories emphasized that a wealthy nation like Germany has a responsibility, adding that now, as wars and global crises dominate world affairs, resources should be allocated where lives are saved, hunger is combatted, and peace is fostered. This position is also supported by Susanne Bei der Wieden, President of the Evangelical-Reformed Church.
The churches highlighted that arguably Germany’s successes for the good of humanity are most visible in this area. They pointed to dramatic global improvements, such as the reduction of worldwide child mortality by more than half and the containment of diseases like HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis. Furthermore, the signatories noted that millions of children-particularly girls-can now attend school for the first time.
The coalition government plans to reduce development aid for the fifth consecutive time. The budget for the Development Ministry was 13.8 billion euros in 2022 but is expected to drop to barely 9.5 billion euros by 2027. The government also intends to reduce funds allocated by the Foreign Office for humanitarian aid.
Historically, the UN General Assembly established the goal of Public Development Assistance (ODA) in 1970. This “ODA quota” is intended to guarantee a minimum level of global development aid, requiring developed countries to dedicate 0.7% of their Gross Domestic Product to development purposes. This requirement was also codified in the UN Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. Germany’s actual ODA quota reached 0.56% in 2025.
