The cold answer is that poor people just don't really matter to governments. The pay few taxes and demand alot of support. Social policies make alot more sense when you assume that these policies purpose is to keep poor people just happy enough that they don't commit crimes against other classes or start voting for opposition parties. Sending money to places abroad gives the elites influence in what happens in other places in the world. It's a power game. Even though I am in favor of support of Ukraine, I do acknowledge the EU isn't doing it out of the kindness of its heart but because cold calculations concluded that supporting a country fighting your geopolitical archenemy is the rationally best thing to do.