Switzerland has decided to terminate its development aid programmes for Bangladesh, Albania, and Zambia by the end of 2028.
This move follows a significant budget cut approved by the Swiss parliament in December, which allocated CHF110 million ($121 million) less for the 2025 international cooperation budget and reduced the financial plan for 2026-2028 by CHF321 million, according to Swissinfo.ch.
The Federal Council, Switzerland’s executive body, was informed of the reductions, which will impact bilateral, economic, and thematic cooperation as well as multilateral organisations. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has announced that its bilateral development initiatives with the three nations will conclude within the specified timeframe.
Despite these cuts, key areas such as humanitarian aid, peacebuilding, and assistance to Ukraine will remain unaffected. However, the reductions will broadly affect other country-specific and thematic programmes, as stated by the government.
