Donald Trump cancelled 83% of USAID. It may result in endanger millions worldwide. (Image Credit: letranlamle96/X.Com; Gage Skidmore/WikiMedia Commons)
Donald Trump campaigned to save the government money and make people's lives easier. It's been more than two months, and none of those things have happened yet.
However, DOGE would argue that it has saved millions in governmental money. All the savings are from cutting important funding for several causes and research.
Many of these programs closed by Trump and Doge are under USAID. The president and his buddy, Elon Musk, have fired several USAID employees, putting the branch almost on the brink of closure. It was reported earlier this month that 83 per cent of the US Agency for International Development's (USAID) programs would be discontinued.
In response, experts have been warning the nation and administration. They claimed that Donald Trump's cuts to USAID could result in over 2.1 million fatalities annually. These casualties will be visible for the next three years.
On behalf of the US, USAID assists in delivering essential humanitarian aid worldwide. But some worry that the cuts could have disastrous effects. However, Donald Trump's followers may argue that it is not America's responsibility to take care of the world.
However, people need to remember that these benefits are almost quid pro quo as these nations help the US with several imports. Many of these countries give US land for military bases, too.
Allison McManus is the Managing Director of National Security and International Policy at the Center for American Progress. In an exclusive interview with the Irish Star, she cautioned that the cuts were extremely disastrous. These could also trigger the next worldwide epidemic.
She said that millions worldwide are suffering from infectious diseases, starvation, and malnutrition. All these result from the Trump administration's cuts to vital humanitarian aid initiatives.
She also added that over the next three years, an additional millions of fatalities might result. Out of these 6.3 millions would be from the administration's cuts to AIDS programs alone. The cuts will also affect other life-saving programs. There are programs such as polio vaccination for more than 200,000 children. It also includes TB treatment for almost three million individuals. These immunizations ensure the eradication of these fatal diseases.
Polio is almost eradicated, yet immunization is necessary to stop the disease from making a comeback. TB is still a number of infectious diseases in the world.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on social media that after a six-week review, we are officially cancelling 83% of the programs at USAID. He added that tens of billions of dollars were spent on the 5,200 contracts that are now cancelled.
He claimed that these contracts do not serve the United States' fundamental national interests. In some cases, they undermine them.
He also claimed that the remaining 18% that are running include around 1000 programs. Donald Trump's government wants to run it efficiently within the State Department after consulting with Congress.
According to the Guardian, 700 US officials and diplomats have written to Rubio since the statement, urging him to reconsider.
The letter said the decision to freeze and terminate foreign aid contracts and assistance grants was taken without any serious assessment. It will put America's partnerships with important allies at risk. It will also undermine confidence among allies. These decisions provide opportunities for adversaries to increase their influence, they said in the letter.
However, the final decision would be Donald Trump and Elon Musk. It is now left to be seen if the Trump administration considers non-American lives worth saving.