In June 2020, the British foreign policy apparatus made an announcement that surprised everyone, and no one, at the same time. The Department for International Development, which, for over 20 years, served as the government's primary agent of its global development policy, was to be merged into the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's past remarks highlighted his aversion to development aid and his desire to have DFID report directly to FCO. But given the twin uncertainties of Brexit and a global pandemic, even close observers were surprised by the timing of the decision that DFID would be no more.

What happens now?