U.S. foreign aid cuts threaten millions’ lives

The Lancet, a prestigious medical journal, published a study on June 30 warning that cuts to U.S. foreign aid under the second Trump administration could lead to about 14 million deaths worldwide by 2030. President Trump, who champions “America First” and smaller government, halted most programs under the U.S. Agency for International Development shortly after returning to power in January 2025, claiming the agency wasted excessive taxpayer money.

The multinational research team, which includes doctors and pathologists from the United States, Spain, and Brazil, warned that about 14 million people worldwide, including 4.5 million children under age five, may not survive if USAID’s foreign aid budget is cut by 83 percent as planned by the current administration. That death toll surpasses military casualties during World War I, which are estimated at about 10 million. Researchers expressed concern that cuts to foreign aid could be as deadly to vulnerable populations in developing countries as war or the COVID-19 pandemic.

Established in 1961 as an independent government agency, USAID provided $43.8 billion in aid to about 130 countries as of 2023. Between 2000 and 2021, USAID’s efforts are estimated to have prevented more than 91 million deaths worldwide. However, after the start of Trump’s second term, the agency was absorbed into the State Department and most of its programs were halted. The State Department renamed the successor agency “America First.”

Former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, along with U2 singer Bono, have strongly criticized Trump’s attempt to dismantle USAID. According to the Associated Press, Obama called the move a tragedy in a recent speech, saying leaders from both parties will soon recognize USAID’s essential role.

Bush, in a separate interview, highlighted the success of PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which USAID led during his presidency and which saved 25 million lives worldwide. He claimed that the lives saved align closely with America’s national interests.


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