Experts have sounded the alarm over Donald Trump’s drastic cuts to USAID, predicting they could lead to more than 2.1 million deaths annually in the next three years.
The stark warnings follow the revelation that a staggering 83 percent of programmes operated by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) are facing the axe after a six-week offensive by the new administration.
USAID is known for delivering crucial humanitarian aid globally on behalf of the US, but there are growing concerns that these reductions could spell disaster.
Speaking to the Irish Star, Allison McManus, Managing Director of National Security and International Policy at the Center for American Progress, cautioned that the cuts are so severe they might trigger the next worldwide health crisis.
Allison stated: “The Trump administration’s cuts to critical humanitarian assistance programs are a death sentence to millions around the world facing infectious diseases, hunger, and malnutrition.”
She added: “The administration’s cuts to AIDS programs alone may cause an additional 6.3 million deaths over the next three years. The cuts will impact other lifesaving programs, cutting off tuberculosis treatment for nearly three million people and polio vaccines for over 200,000 children.”
The cutbacks will also affect other essential services, potentially denying tuberculosis treatment to nearly three million individuals and polio vaccinations to over 200,000 children.
Allison also warned that the repercussions extend beyond those directly affected by AIDS; the entire globe could be at risk if disease spreads unchecked, increasing the likelihood of “another global pandemic”.
As nations globally commemorate their fifth anniversaries of the Covid-19 pandemic’s onset, a crisis the WHO claims has taken over seven million lives—a figure nearing New York City’s population of just over eight million—these deadly calculations carry even more weight.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio took to social media to announce significant cuts in aid programmes. He announced: “After a 6 week review we are officially cancelling 83% of the programs at USAID. The 5200 contracts that are now cancelled spent tens of billions of dollars in ways that did not serve, (and in some cases even harmed), the core national interests of the United States.”
He further added: “In consultation with Congress, we intend for the remaining 18% of programs we are keeping (approximately 1000) to now be administered more effectively under the State Department.”
However, following Rubio’s announcement, an outcry from within has emerged as reported by the Guardian. 700 US diplomats and officials have penned a letter urging Rubio to reconsider his decision.
They said: “The decision to freeze and terminate foreign aid contracts and assistance awards without any meaningful review jeopardizes our partnerships with key allies, erodes trust, and creates openings for adversaries to expand their influence. The freeze on life-saving aid has already caused irreparable harm and suffering to millions of people around the world.”
Whether Rubio, Musk, or Trump will change their stance is yet to be seen. However, experts are expressing concern that without a policy U-turn, Uncle Sam’s Body Count could continue to rise.