The Scottish Government has announced their plan to increase their annual budget for Scotland’s international development fund to £16 million, including £1 million for humanitarian crises. The fund supports Scotland’s partner countries – Malawi, Rwanda, Zambia and Pakistan – to fund and support their efforts to respond to global challenges and to reach the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

What is Scotland’s International Development Fund?

Scotland’s International Development Fund started in 2005 with an annual budget of £3 million after signing an agreement with the Malawi Government to aid in a variety of development projects. In 2008, the programme and fund expanded to include Zambia and Rwanda, and Pakistan has been included since 2016.

In 2012, Scotland also launched their Climate Justice Fund alongside their International Development Fund as the first nation to commit money specifically towards natural disasters. These funds help several projects and organizations in each of the partner countries across several thematic areas of focus:

• Education programs to improve access to education, especially for girls and those with additional support needs
• Health programs that focus on ‘non-communicable diseases’ such as cancer and heart disease
• Equality programs that support gender equality, protect vulnerable groups, and help to reduce poverty
• Natural disaster programs that help to build more climate-resilient communities and increase the use of sustainable energy

Global Humanitarian Crisis Projects

Scotland’s International Development Fund has seen gradual annual budget increases over the past 20 years. This year, the Scottish Government has allocated £16 million to Scotland’s International Development Fund in the 2026/2027 budget, which is a 26% increase compared to the 2025/2026 budget, SPICe Spotlight reports. It also exceeds the forecasted £15 million budget set in 2021. One million pounds of this budget will go towards humanitarian crisis response aid. The Climate Justice Fund is also set to receive £12.7 million, although this is a £1 million reduction compared to last year’s budget.

Reduction in UK Foreign Aid Spending

This increase in Scotland’s International Development Fund comes as a welcome surprise in light of the U.K. government announcing that it will reduce foreign aid spending from 0.5% of gross national income (GNI) to 0.3% in 2027. This decrease comes as the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has announced an increased investment in defence spending at 3% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2027, up from previous targets of 2.5%.

In 2027, 0.3% of GNI could be around £9.2 billion available for aid, down from £15.3 billion spent on aid in 2023. This is far from the duty of 0.7% of GNI that the International Development Act of 2016 sets out; 1999 was the last time that aid was at or below 0.3% of GNI. However, the Prime Minister emphasises that the UK will continue to support Sudan, Ukraine, Gaza and global health.

Scotland-Pakistan Scholarships for Women and Girls

According to the Scottish Government, £500,000 pounds from Scotland’s International Development Fund will help remove barriers for women and girls to pursue and finish secondary education, as well as transition to higher education for bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Pakistan. Partnered with regional organizations, young women and girls receive scholarships targeting girls from minority religious groups and disabled students. Funding education continues to be a successful way to help individuals and communities combat extreme levels of poverty.

Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Malawi

The Fun will help support research advancements for Africans, by Africans, in Africa at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, which specifically trains health professionals such as doctors, nurses, midwives and pharmacists. This 15-year-long partnership has already helped establish the first dental school in Malawi.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Scotland’s humanitarian crises budget provided £250,000 in 2025 to help support emergency relief efforts across eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. DR Congo is one of the poorest and most populous countries in Africa. Almost three in four people, or around 72% of the population, live in extreme poverty with less than $1.90 per day. This situation could only worsen with the ongoing conflict in the eastern provinces, which has displaced hundreds of thousands of people and has resulted in significant civilian casualties. This humanitarian aid funding helped families pay for bare essentials such as food, shelter, fuel and urgent medical care.

Looking Forward

This increase to Scotland’s International Development Fund, including its humanitarian aid spending, is positive news in light of other countries stepping back, such as the U.K. government. Scotland’s refusal to step back “from commitments to the world’s poorest and most vulnerable” offers some hope for a better, more inclusive, more sustainable world to come.

– Stephanie Gable

Stephanie is based in Wales, UK and focuses on Global Health and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr