The Trump administration's recent decision to drastically reduce U.S. funding for foreign humanitarian aid may have dire consequences, with an alarming report suggesting that over 14 million extra deaths could occur by 2030. According to a study featured in The Lancet medical journal, around one-third of those at risk are children. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed in March that the administration has canceled more than 80% of the programs operated by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Davide Rasella, a researcher at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health and co-author of the report, emphasized that the shock from these cuts could be likened to the impact of a global pandemic or major warfare for many low to middle-income nations. He noted that such moves threaten to reverse two decades of progress in healthcare for the most vulnerable populations.
This report arrives as world leaders convene in Seville for a crucial United Nations-led aid conference, touted as the largest such gathering in a decade. Researchers analyzed data across 133 countries and found that USAID funding has been instrumental in preventing 91 million deaths in developing regions from 2001 to 2021. Their modeling predicts that the planned 83% funding reduction could potentially raise death rates significantly, foreseeing over 14 million preventable deaths, which includes more than 4.5 million children under five.
The Trump administration, under the cost-cutting drive led by billionaire Elon Musk, seeks to reduce federal employment while accusing USAID of promoting liberal initiatives. Despite Rubio stating there are still about 1,000 ongoing programs that could be managed more effectively by the Department of State through collaboration with Congress, on-the-ground conditions appear to be deteriorating.
Recent reports from UN officials reveal that significant cuts in U.S. funding have exacerbated crises, with Kenyan refugee camps facing severe food shortages. A recent BBC visit to a hospital in Kakuma, Kenya, uncovered distressing scenes of malnutrition, including infants too weak to move, highlighting the immediate human impact of these funding cuts.
