The article text:
A recent report in The Lancet has raised alarming concerns regarding President Donald Trump's reductions in US funding for international humanitarian aid. Researchers warn that these cuts could potentially contribute to over 14 million additional deaths by the year 2030. Notably, a significant proportion of those at risk—approximately one-third—are projected to be children.
The study's co-author, Davide Rasella, emphasized the gravity of the situation, equating the fiscal shock to low- and middle-income nations to a catastrophe of pandemic or war proportions. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has indicated that over 80% of programs at the US Agency for International Development (USAID) have been eliminated, driven by the administration's perception of excessive spending. The measures, which have faced global condemnation from humanitarian organizations, were reported to have been influenced by the billionaire Elon Musk, who previously led efforts to reduce the federal workforce.
Throughout his second term, Trump has consistently sought a restructuring of overseas funding to align more closely with his "America First" doctrine. Rasella highlighted that the cuts threaten to "abruptly halt - and even reverse - two decades of progress in health among vulnerable populations."
The study's findings suggest that USAID funding has played a critical role in preventing death, with estimates indicating that it saved over 90 million lives in developing countries from 2001 to 2021. The researchers projected that an 83% cut—consistent with Rubio's statements—could herald more than 14 million avoidable deaths by 2030, including the loss of more than 4.5 million children under five.
As world leaders convene in Seville, Spain for a significant United Nations-led aid conference, the absence of the US—a principal global humanitarian provider—has sparked concern. The US has historically delivered aid across over 60 nations, spending $68 billion (£55 billion) on international assistance in 2023 alone.
Following Trump's aid cuts, other nations have similarly opted to reduce their own aid budgets, including the UK, France, and Germany. Consequently, humanitarian organizations have voiced their alarm, with the UN reporting it's confronting the most profound funding reductions in recent memory.
On the ground, the ramifications are immediate, as seen in Kenyan refugee camps facing severe food shortages due to funding cuts, leaving countless people in dire circumstances. A UN official recently reported that the situation has become critical, with residents “slowly starving” due to decreased food rations. Disturbingly, during a visit to a hospital in Kakuma, the BBC observed severe cases of malnutrition affecting vulnerable infants, highlighting the immediate impact of these drastic financial cuts.
A recent report in The Lancet has raised alarming concerns regarding President Donald Trump's reductions in US funding for international humanitarian aid. Researchers warn that these cuts could potentially contribute to over 14 million additional deaths by the year 2030. Notably, a significant proportion of those at risk—approximately one-third—are projected to be children.
The study's co-author, Davide Rasella, emphasized the gravity of the situation, equating the fiscal shock to low- and middle-income nations to a catastrophe of pandemic or war proportions. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has indicated that over 80% of programs at the US Agency for International Development (USAID) have been eliminated, driven by the administration's perception of excessive spending. The measures, which have faced global condemnation from humanitarian organizations, were reported to have been influenced by the billionaire Elon Musk, who previously led efforts to reduce the federal workforce.
Throughout his second term, Trump has consistently sought a restructuring of overseas funding to align more closely with his "America First" doctrine. Rasella highlighted that the cuts threaten to "abruptly halt - and even reverse - two decades of progress in health among vulnerable populations."
The study's findings suggest that USAID funding has played a critical role in preventing death, with estimates indicating that it saved over 90 million lives in developing countries from 2001 to 2021. The researchers projected that an 83% cut—consistent with Rubio's statements—could herald more than 14 million avoidable deaths by 2030, including the loss of more than 4.5 million children under five.
As world leaders convene in Seville, Spain for a significant United Nations-led aid conference, the absence of the US—a principal global humanitarian provider—has sparked concern. The US has historically delivered aid across over 60 nations, spending $68 billion (£55 billion) on international assistance in 2023 alone.
Following Trump's aid cuts, other nations have similarly opted to reduce their own aid budgets, including the UK, France, and Germany. Consequently, humanitarian organizations have voiced their alarm, with the UN reporting it's confronting the most profound funding reductions in recent memory.
On the ground, the ramifications are immediate, as seen in Kenyan refugee camps facing severe food shortages due to funding cuts, leaving countless people in dire circumstances. A UN official recently reported that the situation has become critical, with residents “slowly starving” due to decreased food rations. Disturbingly, during a visit to a hospital in Kakuma, the BBC observed severe cases of malnutrition affecting vulnerable infants, highlighting the immediate impact of these drastic financial cuts.
