USAID Cuts Lead to Global Rise in Death, Hunger, Poverty, and Disease, Experts Warn

Dismantling of USAID and Global Impact

• 🇺🇸 Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered the termination of all remaining overseas employees of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), aiming to complete its dismantling.
• 💸 The House approved President Trump's request to claw back $8.3 billion in previously enacted funding for foreign assistance, making permanent cuts imposed by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
• 📉 Oxfam America warns these cuts could lead to 23 million children losing access to education and up to 95 million people losing access to basic healthcare, potentially causing over three million preventable deaths annually.
• 💔 Boston University researchers estimate that the cuts have already resulted in approximately 300,000 deaths.

On-the-Ground Consequences of Aid Cuts

• 🌍 Amnesty International's report, "Lives at Risk," details chaotic and cruel cuts to programs in countries like Haiti (services for victims of sexual violence, HIV prevention), Afghanistan (services for internally displaced people, safe spaces for women), and Yemen (services for girls and survivors of sexual violence).
• 🏥 In Myanmar, witnesses reported IVs being ripped out of arms and people being forced to leave hospitals following stop-work orders.
• 💧 In Mozambique, a country facing conflict and climate-induced cyclones, the withdrawal of US aid (which comprised 60% of humanitarian aid in the region) has led to unfilled water towers in camps and overflowing latrines, risking epidemic diseases.

Refuting Claims of No Deaths Due to Cuts

• 🗣️ Secretary of State Rubio's claim that no one has died because of USAID cuts, stating "No children are dying on my watch," is defied by logic and evidence.
• 📊 While specific numbers may not be immediately apparent, individual stories and program impacts, such as the cut-off of safe nutrition for pregnant girls in Guatemala, demonstrate the devastating effects on lives.
• 🌍 Humanitarian workers like Jan Egeland of the Norwegian Refugee Council highlight that the US, once a leader in humanitarian aid, is now leaving international solidarity and compassion, creating a gaping hole in life-saving assistance.

Historical US Role and Future Hopes

• ✨ The US has historically achieved monumental improvements in child and maternal health, limited the spread of epidemics, and provided hope through education and business grants.
• 💰 Business grants of $260 have enabled displaced individuals, like a baker in Mozambique, to resume their livelihoods and employ others, showcasing the impact of even small amounts of aid.
• 🇺🇸 Experts express hope that the US will return to its ideals of being a leader in humanitarian aid, a role upheld by both Republican and Democratic administrations since World War II.
• ⚖️ The US has traditionally been generous, but its current foreign aid contribution is around 0.2% of its GNI, compared to over 1% from Norway, indicating a shift in its global role.