Foreign Aid Overhaul: What Happens Now?

The Trump administration has made a big move. They've decided to cancel 83% of U. S. foreign aid contracts. This means 5, 200 out of 6, 200 contracts are no longer active. The remaining 1, 000 will be managed by the State Department, which recently took over the U. S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The reason behind this drastic change? The administration believes that many of these contracts did not align with U. S. national interests. They claim that tens of billions of dollars were spent without benefiting the country. This decision was made after a review that was completed in just six weeks, much earlier than expected. The Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, was praised for helping to implement these changes. However, this move has sparked concern among aid workers and health specialists. They worry about the potential consequences of halting lifesaving programs that provide vaccinations, healthcare, and food for those in need. A top USAID official, Nicholas Enrich, shared some alarming projections. If the aid cuts continue and other donors do not step in, the impacts could be severe. For example, up to 17. 9 million more people could get malaria, and as many as 166, 000 could die from it. Tuberculosis cases could rise by 28 to 32 percent, and hundreds of millions could be sickened by polio over the next decade. Health specialists are worried. Jeanette Bailey, from the International Rescue Committee, says that many stabilization centers for malnourished children have received termination notices. Tereza Kasaeva, from the World Health Organization, warns that the halt in U. S. aid could have "fatal consequences for millions worldwide. " Deborah Ikeh, from the Debriche Health Development Centre in Nigeria, says that the impact will be irreversible. The administration has not commented on the accuracy of these estimates or whether they have informed their actions on aid. However, the projections highlight the potential risks of halting these programs. The figures serve as a reminder of the immense consequences the halt in U. S. foreign aid will have on the lives of people around the world.