As wealthy countries cut aid, Australia remains far below the UN target for development assistance. Its support for Palestinian statehood is not matched by an adequate humanitarian response to Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories.

In 1970, the United Nations General Assembly called on economically advanced countries to work towards providing at least 0.7 per cent of their gross national income (GNI) in official development assistance. The vast majority of developed nations fall well short of this target. Recent OECD figures indicate that only four countries cleared the 0.7 per cent hurdle: Norway, Luxembourg, Sweden and Denmark.

This situation has become more acute in recent years. Rich countries are becoming more miserly. In 2025, the aid provided by donor countries and associates that make up the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD fell by 23.1 per cent, the largest single-year drop in the history of official development assistance (ODA). In one of the world’s richest countries, the United States, ODA declined by 56.9 per cent. Humanitarian aid and ODA to cover the costs of refugees within donor countries also fell by 35.8% and 22.1%, respectively.

So how does Australia shape up? Rather poorly, it seems. Australia’s contribution has........

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