Research published by The Lancet warns that drastic reductions in US humanitarian aid could severely impact global health, particularly among children, posing risks comparable to a pandemic or armed conflict.
Potential Humanitarian Crisis: Trump’s Aid Cuts Could Lead to Millions of Avoidable Deaths
Potential Humanitarian Crisis: Trump’s Aid Cuts Could Lead to Millions of Avoidable Deaths
A recent report suggests that cuts to US foreign aid under Trump's administration may result in over 14 million additional fatalities by 2030.
A new report published in The Lancet medical journal warns that recent cuts to US foreign humanitarian aid under the Trump administration may lead to more than 14 million preventable deaths by the year 2030. The alarming findings indicate that approximately one-third of those at risk are children. In a statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged that the administration has canceled over 80% of the programs at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Co-author of the study, Davide Rasella from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, highlights that the potential impact of these funding cuts could be comparable to the effects of a global pandemic or significant armed conflict in many low- and middle-income nations. The report suggests that the reductions in aid risk reversing two decades of health advancements for vulnerable populations.
The research team examined data from 133 countries and estimated that USAID funding had been instrumental in preventing about 91 million deaths between 2001 and 2021. With the government projecting cuts of a staggering 83%, the implications for mortality rates are dire, particularly for vulnerable demographics, including over 4.5 million children under five, who could face around 700,000 child deaths annually.
These cuts align with a broader trend led by the Trump administration aimed at reducing federal spending, often criticized by those who view USAID as supporting progressive projects. The U.S. remains the world’s largest humanitarian aid provider, operating in over 60 countries. Rubio asserts that around 1,000 remaining programs will now be managed more effectively under the U.S. State Department with Congress's guidance.
However, the stark realities on the ground tell a different story. A recent report from UN workers highlighted dire conditions, such as in Kenyan refugee camps, where reduced U.S. funding has led to critical food shortages, leaving hundreds of thousands of individuals vulnerable to starvation. Coverage of a hospital in Kakuma illustrated the severity of the crisis, exemplified by a malnourished infant struggling to move.
As world leaders convene at a major UN-led aid conference in Seville, the implications of these funding cuts serve as a pressing reminder of the fragile state of global health—one that could face unprecedented challenges if aid continues to dwindle.
