In the midst of the election campaign, where the debate on Danish development aid is almost in the dark, the Timbuktu Foundation’s annual analysis of development aid is published under the headline ‘Denmark first’. It’s thought-provoking reading. The report’s author Jesper Heldgaard summarizes the analysis in six highlights:
- For the first time – perhaps ever – a European country, Ukraine, will be the largest recipient of Danish development aid in both 2022 and 2023.
- In fact, Ukraine is only in second place, as the first place is held by Denmark, because the reception of Ukrainian refugees is funded on a crown-to-crown basis by development aid.
- Even if Danish aid reaches more than DKK 20 billion in 2023, the amount spent on actual development aid will decrease.
- It seems to be difficult to spend the many millions allocated to the government’s otherwise high-profile “neighborhood and migration efforts”.
- The expected disbursements to Danish partner countries in Africa will decrease by 20% in 2023. The government reaches its goal of 30 percent of aid being green, but only by calculating the 30 percent of some of the development aid.
- Although many countries are still struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic, Danish funding for health will decrease in 2023.
- The Development Policy Council, the development minister’s professional and strategic advisors, is increasingly critical of the way development aid is implemented.
- Several development spokespersons from the parties behind the strategy “Common for the World” are also critical.
Read on for yourself here
