This analysis was conducted by Development Initiatives as part of the Maximising the Quality of Scaling up Nutrition Plus (MQSUN+) programme.
Building on previous reviews, this report independently analyses DFID’s official development assistance (ODA) spending on nutrition-related projects in the year 2015. We used the approach developed by the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Donor Network to identify and quantify DFID’s nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions. The review is based on data submitted to the OECD DAC CRS and DFID project documents.
The report reveals that DFID disbursed a record US$1.0 billion of nutrition-related official development assistance (ODA or aid) to developing countries in 2015.
Key findings
- Spending increased significantly from 2014 volumes, by US$206 million; nutrition-sensitive spending rose by US$196 million, and nutrition-specific spending rose by US$11 million.
- The number of DFID-supported nutrition projects continues to rise, and reached a total of 142 nutrition projects in 2015, most of which were nutrition-sensitive partial.
- Most nutrition-sensitive spending was in the humanitarian sector (accounting for 44% of DFID’s total nutrition-sensitive spending in 2015), and specifically on emergency food aid.
- Most of DFID’s total nutrition spending continues to concentrate in sub-Saharan Africa, which received more than half of both nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive spending in 2015.
- DFID spent nutrition-related aid in a greater number of countries than in any previous year; 32 in 2015.
- Ethiopia was the largest recipient of DFID nutrition ODA in 2015, receiving US$227 million. Both nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive spending were greater in Ethiopia than any other country.
This analysis was carried out as part of Development Initiatives’ work under the MQSUN+ consortium.
MQSUN+ is supported by UKaid through the Department of International Development; however, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK Government’s official policies. MQSUN+ cannot be held responsible for errors or any consequences arising from the use of information contained in this blog.
