The cuts to funding for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced by the Donald Trump administration could have catastrophic consequences.
These changes could lead to more than 14 million deaths by 2030, including among children under five, according to a study published in The Lancet.
US Aid Cuts: Consequences
Over the past two decades, USAID programs have focused primarily on low- and middle-income countries, saving more than 91 million lives, a third of which were children.
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The United States remains the world's largest donor of humanitarian aid, providing at least 38% of all UN contributions.
For example, last year the US government provided $61 billion in foreign aid, more than half of it through the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
In March, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the government had already canceled more than 80% of the agency's programs, handing over control of the remaining programs to the State Department.
The study's authors warn that without proper medical care, tens of millions of people could die.
“Our estimates show that if the sharp funding cuts announced and implemented in the first half of 2025 are not reversed, a staggering number of avoidable deaths could occur by 2030,” the report says.
