According to findings in The Lancet, the projected aid reductions could reverse decades of progress in global health, putting millions at risk.
Trump's Aid Cuts Could Lead to 14 Million Deaths, Alarming Report Reveals
Trump's Aid Cuts Could Lead to 14 Million Deaths, Alarming Report Reveals
A new research study warns that Trump administration's severe cuts to humanitarian aid may result in millions of deaths, predominantly among children.
The recent report published in The Lancet highlights a dire prediction: President Donald Trump's drastic cuts to U.S. humanitarian aid funding might result in an additional 14 million deaths globally by 2030. This alarming conclusion is primarily driven by the impact on low- and middle-income countries, with a significant portion of those at risk being children.
Co-author Davide Rasella, a researcher at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, described the potential humanitarian fallout as comparable to a worldwide pandemic or a significant military conflict. In March, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reported that over 80% of programs managed by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) had been eliminated. The Trump administration justified these reductions by viewing them as a necessary cut to what they termed 'wasteful spending.'
Oversight of these controversial cutbacks was reportedly under the guidance of billionaire Elon Musk, who was then involved in efforts to downsize the federal workforce. Throughout his second term, Trump has consistently sought to restrict overseas spending in line with his "America First" ideology.
The report emphasized the potential catastrophic impact of the funding cuts, stating that they could abruptly impede and even reverse two decades of health improvements among vulnerable populations. According to Rasella and his colleagues, prior USAID funding saved over 90 million lives in developing countries from 2001 to 2021. The researchers modeled a scenario in which funding was slashed by 83% and concluded that this could lead to more than 14 million avoidable fatalities by 2030, including over 4.5 million children under five.
The publication of this report coincided with a United Nations-led aid conference in Seville, Spain, marking the largest event of its kind in a decade, but the U.S. is not expected to participate. Historically, the U.S. has been the world's leading provider of humanitarian aid, having operated across more than 60 nations, with expenditures reaching $68 billion in 2023 alone.
USAID has been regarded as crucial to the international aid framework; however, following the announcement of cuts, other nations, including the UK, France, and Germany, have also begun to reduce their aid spending. Humanitarian organizations have strongly criticized these measures. Just last month, the United Nations conveyed that it was facing unprecedented funding reductions in the international humanitarian sector.
Despite Rubio's claims that approximately 1,000 U.S. programs would be managed "more effectively" under the State Department's guidance, reports from UN officials have indicated worsening situations on the ground. A month ago, it was reported that numerous individuals were slowly starving in Kenyan refugee camps following U.S. funding reductions that drastically decreased food rations to their lowest levels ever. In Kakuma, a hospital in northwestern Kenya displayed heartbreaking evidence of malnutrition, with infants exhibiting severe distress and health issues.
Co-author Davide Rasella, a researcher at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, described the potential humanitarian fallout as comparable to a worldwide pandemic or a significant military conflict. In March, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reported that over 80% of programs managed by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) had been eliminated. The Trump administration justified these reductions by viewing them as a necessary cut to what they termed 'wasteful spending.'
Oversight of these controversial cutbacks was reportedly under the guidance of billionaire Elon Musk, who was then involved in efforts to downsize the federal workforce. Throughout his second term, Trump has consistently sought to restrict overseas spending in line with his "America First" ideology.
The report emphasized the potential catastrophic impact of the funding cuts, stating that they could abruptly impede and even reverse two decades of health improvements among vulnerable populations. According to Rasella and his colleagues, prior USAID funding saved over 90 million lives in developing countries from 2001 to 2021. The researchers modeled a scenario in which funding was slashed by 83% and concluded that this could lead to more than 14 million avoidable fatalities by 2030, including over 4.5 million children under five.
The publication of this report coincided with a United Nations-led aid conference in Seville, Spain, marking the largest event of its kind in a decade, but the U.S. is not expected to participate. Historically, the U.S. has been the world's leading provider of humanitarian aid, having operated across more than 60 nations, with expenditures reaching $68 billion in 2023 alone.
USAID has been regarded as crucial to the international aid framework; however, following the announcement of cuts, other nations, including the UK, France, and Germany, have also begun to reduce their aid spending. Humanitarian organizations have strongly criticized these measures. Just last month, the United Nations conveyed that it was facing unprecedented funding reductions in the international humanitarian sector.
Despite Rubio's claims that approximately 1,000 U.S. programs would be managed "more effectively" under the State Department's guidance, reports from UN officials have indicated worsening situations on the ground. A month ago, it was reported that numerous individuals were slowly starving in Kenyan refugee camps following U.S. funding reductions that drastically decreased food rations to their lowest levels ever. In Kakuma, a hospital in northwestern Kenya displayed heartbreaking evidence of malnutrition, with infants exhibiting severe distress and health issues.
