SIPRI Report: Rising Military Spending Deepens Food Crisis

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has published a report titled "Rising military spending in the grip of falling development aid," revealing that the increase in military expenditures is reducing development aid and deepening food crises.

According to the report published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the prioritization of military spending by donor countries is widening the gap between official development aid and actual humanitarian needs. The allocation of resources to defense in the face of increasing geopolitical risks is cited as a factor triggering structural poverty and food crises by putting pressure on humanitarian aid budgets. According to the institute's data, global military spending reached $2.9 trillion last year, accounting for 2.5 percent of global Gross Domestic Product, setting a historical record. The report, based on data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), emphasized that official development aid has been steadily declining since 2021.

It was stated that the decline in development aid began in 2021 but was temporarily masked by intensive aid and refugee hosting costs following the Russia-Ukraine War. The report, which includes case analyses of European countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom, noted that while governments present humanitarian aid cuts as a necessity to increase military budgets, the amounts cut from aid remain marginal compared to massive military expenditures. On the other hand, considering conflicts and natural disasters, it is estimated that global humanitarian aid needs could reach $326 billion by 2028, resulting in a massive funding gap of $179 billion.