Funding Crisis Hits Famine Frontlines: Christian Aid Income Plummets by £12 Million

In a stark blow to global humanitarian efforts, international development charity Christian Aid has reported a dramatic £12 million drop in income, according to newly filed accounts. The charity’s revenue fell to £71.1 million for the year ending March 2025, down from £83.3 million the previous year, forcing the organization into an operating deficit. The most severe financial damage came from a 40% collapse in institutional grants, which plummeted from £29.5 million to just £18 million. This devastating shortfall was significantly driven by the end of crucial USAID funding and a staggering £6 million reduction in support from the UN World Food Programme, highlighting the fragile nature of large-scale aid funding in a challenging economic climate.

While individual donors and legacies held remarkably steady, providing £52.2 million and demonstrating deep public commitment, the massive institutional funding gap has triggered a major organizational overhaul. In response, Christian Aid announced a painful restructuring in April, planning to reduce its staff from 720 to 400 and shift towards a partnership-based model of delivering aid. This crisis is not isolated; it reflects a wider squeeze on the UK charity sector, where the proportion of people donating has fallen significantly. For a charity born from the ashes of World War II to help rebuild Europe, this new financial reality represents one of its most significant challenges in decades, threatening its capacity to serve the world’s most vulnerable.