African aid organization calls Dutch aid cuts a "catastrophe"
African organizations expressed alarm following Dutch Minister Reinette Klever's recent proposal to slash two-thirds of funding for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) aiding human rights and development projects. The cuts, totaling roughly 1 billion euro, sparked immediate concerns across Uganda, Sudan, Mali, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where NGO work heavily relies on Dutch support.
Gahoussou Traoré, director of CAEB in Mali, emphasized the critical nature of Dutch aid. "About 40 percent of our funding comes from the Netherlands," he said, noting the potential impact on healthcare, clean water, and education. "If this funding is cut, it’s a severe shock for Mali—a catastrophe, especially as we already face war and extreme drought." Traoré stressed the essential role of Dutch expertise in agriculture and water management, which Mali depends on to address food and water security. "This collaboration is literally a matter of life or death."
Richard Lusimbo of Uganda’s Key Populations Consortium, which advocates for LGBTQ+ rights, similarly emphasized Dutch funding's significance. Uganda's recent anti-LGBTQ+ legislation has intensified discrimination and violence against the LGBTQ+ community. "Around 40 percent of our budget is from the Netherlands," Lusimbo said, crediting Dutch funding for both financial and operational support. "If the Netherlands pulls back, this could cost lives."
In Sudan, Abdalla's peace-building organization relies on Dutch-backed PAX to mediate conflicts among communities in the Nuba Mountains, an area currently stable amid the nation’s broader conflicts. Abdalla expressed alarm, highlighting the fragile peace: “This work has prevented the conflicts spreading, and now it is more crucial than ever with so many displaced people arriving.”
Claudine Tsongo, co-founder of the legal advocacy group Dynamique des Femmes Juristes in Congo, also voiced grave concern. Since 2006, her organization has provided legal aid to Congolese women affected by violence. Supported by Dutch NGO Cordaid, the group helps survivors of sexual violence and war crimes. "Thousands of Congolese women rely on this support," Tsongo said, adding that cutting funding would undermine protections for women’s rights across the country.
The Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch Parliament, is set to discuss the cuts, which could reshape international aid efforts across Africa.
