In a concerning report published in The Lancet medical journal, researchers warn that President Trump's severe reductions in U.S. humanitarian aid funding could result in over 14 million more deaths by 2030. Alarmingly, nearly a third of those at risk are projected to be children. The findings draw comparisons to global pandemics and major armed conflicts as low- and middle-income countries brace for catastrophic effects.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed that over 80% of programs at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have been terminated, an action viewed as part of Trump's "America First" policy aimed at cutting perceived government waste. This dramatic loss of funding has raised significant global concern from humanitarian organizations, particularly as these cuts were overseen by Elon Musk during his lead on a workforce reduction initiative.
The researchers at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, led by co-author Davide Rasella, argued that these funding cuts risk undoing 20 years of advancements in health care for vulnerable populations, estimating that USAID funding prevented more than 90 million deaths in developing nations from 2001 to 2021. Their modeling projects a staggering toll of 14 million avoidable deaths by 2030, including approximately 4.5 million children under five.
This grim report surfaced as world leaders gathered in Seville, Spain, for a U.N. aid conference, the largest in a decade, from which the U.S. was notably absent. The U.S., being the largest global provider of humanitarian assistance, has historically operated across more than 60 countries, investing $68 billion on international aid in 2023 alone.
With the announcement of cuts, other nations, including the UK, France, and Germany, have begun reducing their aid as well, prompting condemnation from humanitarian organizations that cite "the deepest funding cuts ever" in the sector. Although Rubio suggested that about 1,000 U.S. programs would still be administered more effectively, conditions on the ground remain dire. Reports from U.N. officials highlight escalating hunger, with many facing "slow starvation" in refugee camps in countries like Kenya, a situation exacerbated by diminished food rations due to U.S. cuts.
The potential human cost of these funding reductions poses a significant global challenge, and the discussions at the U.N. conference underscore the urgent need for collaborative solutions to prevent further crisis in humanitarian aid.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed that over 80% of programs at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have been terminated, an action viewed as part of Trump's "America First" policy aimed at cutting perceived government waste. This dramatic loss of funding has raised significant global concern from humanitarian organizations, particularly as these cuts were overseen by Elon Musk during his lead on a workforce reduction initiative.
The researchers at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, led by co-author Davide Rasella, argued that these funding cuts risk undoing 20 years of advancements in health care for vulnerable populations, estimating that USAID funding prevented more than 90 million deaths in developing nations from 2001 to 2021. Their modeling projects a staggering toll of 14 million avoidable deaths by 2030, including approximately 4.5 million children under five.
This grim report surfaced as world leaders gathered in Seville, Spain, for a U.N. aid conference, the largest in a decade, from which the U.S. was notably absent. The U.S., being the largest global provider of humanitarian assistance, has historically operated across more than 60 countries, investing $68 billion on international aid in 2023 alone.
With the announcement of cuts, other nations, including the UK, France, and Germany, have begun reducing their aid as well, prompting condemnation from humanitarian organizations that cite "the deepest funding cuts ever" in the sector. Although Rubio suggested that about 1,000 U.S. programs would still be administered more effectively, conditions on the ground remain dire. Reports from U.N. officials highlight escalating hunger, with many facing "slow starvation" in refugee camps in countries like Kenya, a situation exacerbated by diminished food rations due to U.S. cuts.
The potential human cost of these funding reductions poses a significant global challenge, and the discussions at the U.N. conference underscore the urgent need for collaborative solutions to prevent further crisis in humanitarian aid.
