“War is driving Sudan’s needs; funding cuts are shrinking the response. War is driving Sudan’s needs; funding cuts are shrinking the response."

- Muhammad Ibrahim, MSF Head of Mission in Sudan

In a time when humanitarian crises like war, famine, and disasters continue to grow in number and severity, some are not just being forgotten, they are being deliberately abandoned.

This is the case in Sudan, the world’s worst hunger crisis where child malnutrition is at catastrophic levels, but the crisis has been continuously neglected. Three years of armed conflict have made it harder for people to get the food they need, and now aid cuts are further stripping away the nutrition support that keeps children and people alive.

By cutting their aid budgets, wealthy countries are not only abandoning Sudan in its hour of need. They are neglecting the fight against global malnutrition and poverty, at a time when global hunger has doubled over the past decade.

The ask: We call on Canada to stop cuts to international aid in Budget 2026 and reinvest in our world.

Global cuts to international assistance, including last year’s devastating cuts from Canada, are fueling nutrition crises around the world. International aid for basic nutrition is projected to decrease by 32% between 2024-2026, while humanitarian funding for food assistance fell by 39% in 2025. Some wealthy countries are considering cutting funding for health by 20%, which could lead to the death of 12 million more children by 2045. Malnutrition also has broader ripple effects and worsens health outcomes, including contributing to infectious diseases like TB.

Sudan is a stark example of the impact of aid cuts, but far from the only one. In 2025, for the first time this century, famine was confirmed in two countries in a single year – in addition to parts of Sudan, parts of Gaza are also starving. In Yemen, where food insecurity is among the most severe globally, 19.5 million people are in need of humanitarian aid, but only 13% of required funding has been secured. Just last month, the World Food Programme (WFP) announced that critical funding shortages are forcing the organization to cut food assistance by half in the West Bank. These aid cuts are worsening hunger and malnutrition at a time when armed conflict and climate disasters are already placing massive strain on the global food system.

why now and why the budget?  

If we want Budget 2026 to reflect our values, including the importance of nutrition in crisis contexts, we need decision-makers to know that Canadians care. The budget is almost here, so we need advocates to raise their voices this October and tell the government to stop cutting international aid.

Canada has long played an important role in global efforts to reduce poverty, including supporting nutrition and humanitarian assistance through its international aid. After the US made sweeping cuts to its aid spending last year under President Trump, Canada must not follow this dangerous, irresponsible trend. Instead, Canada should step up for international aid in Budget 2026.

Check out our blog advocating for aid for more information about our advocacy and the importance of this budget.

If you are interested in learning more about the devastating impact of funding cuts, check out this case study on the impact of global aid cuts on Sudan’s catastrophic hunger crisis in our budget toolkit.

In this last month of action before Budget 2026 is released in November, we will let our Members of Parliament and the Minister of Finance know that Canada must stop cuts to international aid.

The ask: We call on Canada to stop cuts to international aid in Budget 2026 and reinvest in our world.

latest campaign news

CEPI

• At the UN General Assembly in September, Canada made a crucial announcement in support of global health. Randeep Sarai, Canada’s Secretary of State for International Development, announced $10 million in funding for the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). This money will support CEPI’s work in response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak, which has reminded us all just how important it is to invest in pandemic preparedness and response. We welcome Canada’s commitment to building a healthier world and we will continue to advocate for the government to top-up this initial commitment with additional funding to CEPI’s 100 Days Mission.
• Thank you to all our grassroots advocates who took action as part of the Secure the Future campaign in support of this goal. Together, you wrote 483 letters to the editor, got 45 published, and contacted 84 parliamentarians directly. Your engagement placed impactful pressure on decision-makers and helped us reach this milestone Canadian commitment. We couldn’t have done it without you!
• Read more about how Canada stepped up at the UN General Assembly on our blog.

Education

• At the UN General Assembly, Secretary of State Randeep Sarai received loud cheers from the world as he announced $300 million to the Global Partnership for Education.

• This investment will help millions of children access quality education. More kids learning creates more opportunities, strengthens communities and economies, and helps build a more prosperous and stable world.

• A huge thank you to our volunteers, Fellows, partners, and all advocates across Canada and around the world who took action for global education. From raising awareness to engaging decision-makers, your voices have been part of a collective effort to build a better world for all.

story

The catastrophic impact of aid cuts on Sudan’s worsening crisis

The impact of funding cuts is a day-to-day reality for people in Sudan, many of whom have had to flee their homes. More than 8.8 million people are internally displaced in Sudan, including Hanan and her family.

After finding shelter in east Sudan, Hanan was receiving food support from aid agencies, but that all changed when the United States cut funding for international humanitarian assistance.

“Suddenly, the assistance we relied on stopped,” Hanan said. “When we asked aid workers why, they told us they are facing huge funding cuts. Food aid was reduced, then stopped, and cash support ceased entirely. Now, I can no longer afford my blood pressure medication, and we barely get any food.”

“I tried to compensate for lost food aid by relying on meals from a nearby community kitchen. But the kitchen shut down. Volunteers told us funding had dried up, so they can no longer serve us.”

video

Kenneth Lavelle, Director of Operations at MSF Switzerland, explains how the funding cuts are having a devastating impact for the people of Sudan. 

Already facing the horrific impacts of a civil war since April 2023, the situation in Sudan has become even worse as funding cuts have made the humanitarian response more difficult and have limited the delivery of life-saving services.  

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