The Guardian: Poorest countries bear the brunt as aid levels fall for second successive year
“Experts have warned that the fight against global poverty has taken a backward step after the publication of new figures showing foreign aid has fallen for a second successive year. Aid levels dropped last year by 2.7% from 2017, with the poorest countries worst hit, according to figures published by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)…” (Lamble, 4/10).

Thomson Reuters Foundation: Global aid spending drops as refugee flows decrease — OECD
“…Rich countries need to increase aid spending if the world is to achieve 17 global development goals, seeking to end poverty and hunger and tackle climate change, which were agreed in 2015 by U.N. member states and estimated to cost $3 trillion a year. Yet bilateral aid to the world’s poorest countries fell by 3 percent to $27.6 billion while humanitarian aid dropped by 8 percent to $15.3 billion, data showed…” (Taylor, 4/10).

VOA News: OECD: Aid Drops for Some of World’s Neediest Countries
“…The OECD’s head of development aid statistics, Yasmin Ahmad, says if support to refugees is taken out of the equation — in some cases because of fewer arrivals — the overall aid figure would remain unchanged. Ahmad, however, says the message is still alarming. ‘The OECD considers these trends quite worrisome because it shows that most donors are not actually living up to the commitment that they made in 2015, which was to increase their aid,’ Ahmad said. Ahmad said separate OECD findings also show foreign direct investment to developing countries dropped by about one-third from 2016 to 2017, among other downward trends…” (Bryant, 4/10).