(BBC) Donald Trump’s decision to reduce most of the US funding for foreign humanitarian aid might result in over 14 million extra deaths by 2030, according to a study published in The Lancet medical journal.
The research indicates that a third of those at risk of dying prematurely are children.
In March, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned that President Trump’s administration had canceled more than 80% of all programs at the US Agency for International Development, known as USAID.
Davide Rasella, who co-wrote the Lancet report, stated, “For many low- and middle-income countries, the shock from these cuts would be similar to a global pandemic or a major war.”
Rasella, a researcher at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, added that the funding cuts “risk stopping – and even reversing – two decades of health progress for vulnerable groups.”
This report comes as many world leaders gather in Seville, Spain, this week for a United Nations-led aid conference, the largest in ten years.
Looking at data from 133 countries, the research team estimated that USAID funding saved 91 million lives in developing nations from 2001 to 2021.
They also modeled how an 83% cut in funding – the amount announced by the US government earlier this year – could impact death rates.
The cuts could result in more than 14 million preventable deaths by 2030, the projections suggest. This includes over 4.5 million children under five years old, which means about 700,000 child deaths each year.
The Trump administration, which was previously led by billionaire Elon Musk’s cost-cutting plan, aimed to reduce the federal workforce. It has also accused USAID of backing liberal initiatives.
The US, being the largest humanitarian aid provider in the world, has worked in over 60 countries, mainly through contractors.
