Australia was by far the leading provider of grants and loans to the Pacific region in 2024. (EPA PHOTO)Australia was by far the leading provider of grants and loans to the Pacific region in 2024. (EPA PHOTO) Credit: AAPInternational funding and financing for the Pacific Islands has largely avoided the worst of aid cuts as Australia leads the way, according to a new report. That means a return to pre-pandemic levels, which the institute said is ''a modest reduction given major global aid cuts''. International aid has slumped after US President Donald Trump shut down the world's largest funding agency for humanitarian and development aid in 2025.